Horimono part 2

[Stephen]

a client's O tanto came in yesterday and after taking some preliminary pix I was wondering if anyone care to give their interpretation of this horimono?

 

after some better pictures perhaps we can do a Kantei?

[Brian]

Am I wrong in thinking it is a very stylised dragon chasing the pearl?

Could be he is looking back over his shoulder. Or maybe it has just been a very long day

 

Nice looking blade.

 

Brian

[Jacques]

Hi,

 

Seems atabori, very nice indeed.

[Mark]

looks like a Soshu stlye dragon around/swallowing a sword/ken it is stylized but you this

[Rickisan]

Stephen -

 

Flipping thru the Connoisseurs Book it looks similar to So no Kurikara,"highly simplified dragon winding around a sword."

 

Can the other side be considered horimono too...like Goma hashi,"chopsticks used on altars of Shinto shrines?"

 

Rick

[remzy]

To me it looks like a very simplified AND stylised dragon that got added to mask some wares (around the neck of the "dragon" and the lower tip of the higher waves)... but what do i know!

 

still neat nevertheless

[sencho]

Anyone with access to Nihonto Zenshu Vol 3, will be able to see a few examples of this style of horimono... most utilize a clear traditionally cut ken that the stylized "dragon" is wrapped around...

 

will be another few weeks but I will scan some pages and post them when I get back to the USA..

 

cheers

[Stephen]

Thanks Nigel i cant wait to see it.

Rick you got it down, here is a pix from Hawley showing the style of dragon with ken but its right on as to which you point out.

[Rickisan]

Stephen-

 

Holy cow... I might have got something right. HHFA (hell has frozen over)

 

This book collection is coming in handy

 

What about the other side...

 

Rick

[Stephen]

even though there not shaped like traditional hashi im sure thats what they represent.