What Type Of Inlay Is It? Sahari?

[Krystian]

Hello, 

 

I found tsuba with inlay like I never seen before. After going through my books I found just few similar examples (with Sahari in desription). But the book is black a white so I am not certain if this is the same thing...   

 

Best Regards, 

 

Krystian

[John A Stuart]

It has that look of saharizogan, but is this actually zogan? more a nunome technique perhaps? John

[Curran]

No, not sahari.

Attached is sahari.

 

NBTHK Hazama tsuba.

NBTHK signed Kunitomo Teiei tsuba.

 

Despite what others claim, modern sahari never looks right.

The original stuff was quite poisionous to the producers. On contact, it will test extremely hard like the surface of a diamond. In comparison, iron will feel extremely soft.

 

Iron may come and go. Sahari rocks on. Long after the iron had decayed, the sahari will be there.

[Krystian]

Thank you Curran. On color pictures you can see very well that this is not Sahari on my tsuba. 

[Ford Hallam]

Hi Curran

 

I'm intrigued to learn where this point comes from,

"The original stuff was quite poisionous to the producers."

 

 

Do you have a reference, please?

 

thanks

 

Ford

[Curran]

This one is my mistake.

I confused it with kuromi-do, thinking arsenic was involved causing ventilation issues.

[Brian]

Since myself and other members are too lazy to Google, would love a grief explanation of sahari. Looks very interesting.

[Curran]

If too lazy to Google it, I guess you miss out on the fact that it is the nom de guerre of a porn star.

I searched on "Sahari Inlay". Google provided images other than what I was expecting. Try "Sahari tsuba" instead.

 

Ford has made it before. --A piece with leaves in the substance on the plate, so maybe he feels like lecturing on it.

It is also in Torigoye, or Markus' recent translation of Tosogu Classroom. I believe the Owari to Mikawa book translation (also by super Markus) has a section on it. There seems to be more than one variation.

That should be evident from comparing photos.

[Ford Hallam]

Perhaps using google as ones first point of reference with respect to the esoterica of classical Japanese metalworking technology is not an entirely robust strategy

 

But far from it for me to lecture anyone I merely asked for some clarification on an assertion I found to be at odds with the hard data of scientific analysis.

 

I have little interest in opinions at this point only substantiated and verifiable data.

 

regards and night night

 

fh

[Henry Wilson]

 

On contact, it will test extremely hard like the surface of a diamond. In comparison, iron will feel extremely soft.

 

Iron may come and go. Sahari rocks on. Long after the iron had decayed, the sahari will be there.

 

The pictures look like the inlay is quite decayed and the iron relatively intact.  Is the worn effect intentional? A kind of applied wabi-sabi?

[Curran]

The pictures look like the inlay is quite decayed and the iron relatively intact.  Is the worn effect intentional? A kind of applied wabi-sabi?

 

Ugh.     

 

After 7, 8, or more years of fielding this topic every time it comes up, I must ask you guys to open a book or pull up previous threads.

If you live in Japan, go actually see them at the DTI this month.

 

Support Markus. Buy Tosogu Classroom. Read it.

[Henry Wilson]

 Thanks Curran. Very helpful.

 

If I could I would give you a hug
 

[John A Stuart]

Sahari is a cast product usually and is subsequently fired to remove surface lead from the object, I think it is called yakiageru. Anyway on tsuba I find blemishes, bubbles, pits etc. that look as if the tsuba has been baked after the sahari added. This might account for the look some pieces have, fired a little longer than others. John

[Brian]

This is what I was able to find. I barely have enough time to read every thread nowadays, never mind do homework
Pc -- work --pc -- work.....
Is there anything else out there?
Ford, I hope this Google explanation isn't too far off from reality.

 

 

Sahari is an alloy of copper (87%) and tin (9%), with small amounts of zinc, lead, and silver. It is famous for the rich tones that can be produced when an object of this alloy is struck. As far back as the Nara period in Japan (710-784 AD), this metal was widely used to make gongs, ( dora in Japanese) and temple bells. Another popular use of this alloy was to make spoons and bowls. There is evidence that the metal was cast into a given shape then refined with forging and ornamental embellishment. The metal has a gray color that is typically left without patina.

Before attempting to create a patina on cast bronze, the metal is subjected to a surface refining process called yaki-namashi . During this process, the metal is heated to remove lead and then cooled gradually. This compensates for the unequal distribution of alloy constituents in the casting, creating a uniform surface that will respond predictably to patination.

I think the reason so few of us know much about it, is that it isn't very often encountered?

[Ford Hallam]

yaki- namashi means annealing...the lead removal thing is nonsense.

 

the rest is too muddled to correct without writing a page or two...but you can all read everything soon.

[Jean]

But when Ford?

[Ford Hallam]

very very soon. put it this way, i have other big projects for next spring