A Recent "discovery"

[Peter Bleed]

I am writing to show to the NMB community a tsuba that I have just added to my collection.

I am as sure as I can be that most of readers who have bothered to open this post will judge this guard harshly. It is in rough condition. It does not fit comfortably into any “school” although most of us would easily call it “Nanban style”. I also assume that many on the Forum will realize that I just bought this fitting from one of the most reviled purveyors Japanese antiques on eBay. I am NOT embarrassed. This guard fits in my collection!

I like this guard because I am sure that it is a CHINESE sword guard that found its way to Nippon, probably at a time when the country was supposedly “closed”. I can’t be sure how this guard got to Japan. It might have been the property of a roaming warrior. I am sure that lots of the guys who came home from the terrible fighting that took place in Korean had access to Continental weaponry. Maybe one of them brought it home as a trophy. It is also possible that this was nothing more than a trinket some Chinese trader sold to a minor official who wanted to dress up like a “foreigner”.

Once in Japan, this guard was adjusted for use on a katana. The kinko that added the necessary ryo-hitsu or the fellow that later filled them in probably found the nunome zogan embellishments on the guard coarse. And it seems never to have been treated with care. It probably spent most of the last century or two in a kura where it lost lots of zogan and gained ample red rust. Cleaning it will be a chore – that I am looking forward to!

I am pleased to have found this guard.  It fits with other pieces I have assembled and I found it. I have done my home work and developed my own opinions.Collecting is much more about searching than it is having.

Peter

[MauroP]

Agree that Nanban is the box where this kind of tsuba usually are put. Here below 3 tsuba papered as Namban which share some point with your one.

Bye, Mauro

 

[TETSUGENDO]

Could not agree more Peter!

 

-S-

[ChrisW]

Regardless of origin, it is still very beautiful and very deserving of preservation!

[Brian]

Can't argue with your conclusions there Peter. Definitely seems repurposed Chinese, and has a tale to tell. Glad it found the right home.

[Ford Hallam]

It might be Korean actually. I've seen similar ones (in a exhibition catalogue for a museum in Seoul) with the same type of silver nunome-zogan work, mid 19th century. 

[Peter Bleed]

In making post here on NMB, I often feel like Amatarasu in the Kojiki dancing in dancing in front a cave trying to get Izanagi and the other real gods to come out.  Usually, I fall flat and attract much less attention than – say – in depth discussions of copper handle non-com swords. Anytime a post will shake out some great examples and get Ford Hallam involved I have to consider it worthwhile.

Mauro,

Thank you for showing us those Namban tsuba. I agree that the top one you show is absolutely of “Chinese” origin. It is terrific. Your examples also show the range of tsuba that get assigned to the Namban category. Most Namban guards are, frankly, not very good, but your group illustrates well-crafted pieces that include modified imported and pieces as well as other made in Japan but  inspired by “foreign” designs. The beauty of your tsuba is that they illustrate the QUALITY of Japanese metal working. Collecting by types may cause us to emphasize “type” rather then quality. I LOVE your Chinese guard!

For what it is worth I will attach images of one of my papered Namban tsuba. I got it because it is – to me – a copy of a European bilobed guard. But it also has pictures of those funny European guys with round eyes and moustaches. Unfortunately, it only has an old “Green Paper” so we can’t be sure it is “good”.

Chris,

I appreciate your positive comment and encouragement. But I am not sure I can agree that my guard is good and – well – "beautiful”. I think Mauro’s top guard IS both of those things. Obviously, I agree my tsuba deserves to be “preserved.” But I am also willing to view it as an “artifact” that wears its history. Mine is very unlikely to get – or warrant – papers.

Ford,

I especially appreciated your observation of the potential that my guard might reflect Korean contact. A major problem in trying to assess “Namban” fittings is that we actually know very little about what “Chinese” sword fittings were like. Actually, we probably ought to approach them as “Continental” and expect that there were lots of different kinds of foreign stuff that interested Japanese sword fanciers. I just wish the collectors on the Continent would publish some nicely illustrated guides!

Thank you all.

Peter

[Bazza]

Peter Bleed wrote:

>  A major problem in trying to assess “Namban” fittings is that we actually know very little about what “Chinese” sword fittings were like.

 

I might be able to add something there - I have this BIG book on Chinese swords I hardly look at.  I'll endeavor to do so in the next little while...

 

BaZZa.

[Peter Bleed]

BAZ!

Please and BY ALL MEANS, tell us about this book.

Peter

[Geraint]

Dear Peter.

 

I am sure you already have this site under view but in case you haven't....  http://mandarinmansion.com/welcome    (Well the link takes you to a page but if you go to the page headed "For Sale", you should find the one i'm referencing).   Lots of interesting Chinese stuff to look at and if you scroll down a couple of pages on what he calls Asian export guards.

 

Hope it is of interest to some.

 

All the best.

[Guido]

The best book on Chinese swords is IMO 中国刀剑 (ZHÒNGGUÓ DĀOJIĂN) by 皇甫江 (HUÁNGFŬ JIĀNG). Lots of good quality color photos of swords and fittings of all ages. Chinese text (except for the book title  ), out of print, and hard to get.

 

Another good source is 清宫武备 (QĪNG GŌNG WŬ BÈI), published by 故宫博物院藏 (GÙGŌNG BÓWÙ YUÀNCÁNG); it’s about military equipment of the Qing dynasty from the palace museum, and has a section about swords. Chinese text with English captions of the photos.

[Peter Bleed]

Wow!. I feel like my dirty dancing in front the cave has truly drawn out some series participants. Thank you all.

Geraint,

Indeed, I had NOT seen the Mandarin Arms page. I'm on their list now. I have wondered where serious Namban collectors where getting their stuff, Very interesting. I do my searching on a rather small sphere. I still feel like I am basically looking thru the souvenirs of America's colonial and military past. The stuff that shows up in that context is very different from what can be seen in Europe and the original homelands.

Guido,

I had seen reference to the first of the books you have taught me about, I called it "Chukoku Token" but had never found a way of getting a copy. Mt search image is MUCH better now.Thanx

And we're still waiting for word from Melbourne, BAZ.

Peter