Shachi - Dragon Fish

[roger dundas]

Here I go- slightly off topic again-

Wouldn't the Japanese (Chinese too) have had fun with a theme incorporating 'snapping turtles', 'alligator snapping turtles' and so on.

If only they had been an Asian reptile and known to them- you could imagine they would have been on tsuba, other tosogu,  illustrated in books, statues and so on, everywhere.

Roger j

[Bugyotsuji]

13 hours ago, GRC said:

I see this "dragon fish" fairly often in Nanban tsuba... I've got 17 image examples so far:

the last one is papered... what does the NBTHK call it?

NBTHK calls them what you said, i.e. ‘flying dragons after a jewel’. 飛龍 hiryū (tobi-ryū)

[GRC]

Thanks Piers.

...so HIRYU "flying dragons" are also SHACHI "fish dragons"?

I guess it depends on whether you focus on the wings or the fish tail?   

 

 

Here's two more examples that aren't Nanban:

[Michael 101]

Here is an example by the 5th Jingo master.

 

 

[GRC]

Hamano kogai:

[Bazza]

Aaaaand another Shachi, this one on a tsuba a friend brought for a showing one day.

BaZZa.

 

Shachi tsuba front

 

Shachi tsuba back

 

Shachi tsuba back closeup

 

80mm wide, 86mm high, rim thickness 6.3mm, seppai dai thickness 4.0mm.

[Spartancrest]

I don't usually promote cast guards but this one is at least reasonably priced for what it is - https://www.jauce.com/auction/m1042552782

[GRC]

and then this one shows up on ebay for 10x the price!

The eyebrows had a lot of work done... I guess it was sent to a pretty exclusive salon to get that done 

[Spartancrest]

Ebay is having a run on these!  https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/165381229071

Some without the eye makeup!   But still ten times the price. 

 

on ebay also, there is a Katamenuki  https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/255413766945   looks genuine to me.

 

 

[roger dundas]

That is a fine big shachi tsuba BaZZa , all 88 x 80 mm of it.

Nicely chiseled dragon and dragon fish, clouds, plus the gold 'jewel'.

And forged, chiseled and NOT cast.

Condition down a bit as so many tsuba are prior to an application of 'love and affection'.

A great example.

Roger j

[Spartancrest]

I would be interested in the opinion of whether these are Shiachi or just dragons?

The image is from Louis Gonse's book  "L'art Japonais"  (1883)  and appeared later in "The Sword of Japan and it's Ornaments" by the Countess Annie De Montaigu (1895) The guard is described as 'Silver-Bronze, Dragons Affronté: by Seidouzi'   [Seidzu?]

 

[Spartancrest]

New one just listed - https://www.jauce.com/auction/m1042980375

79.2 mm x 77.7 mm x  5.2 mm   Weight : Approx. 116.0 Gram

 

[Spartancrest]

It must be a day for Shiachi   https://www.jauce.com/auction/n1042986975

Described as Nanban

[GRC]

Here's another one (not cast), that has some similar stylings to the one Dale posted earlier. Same school, different smiths maybe? 

[GRC]

and another one of the same style, with slight variations, likely done by the same smith (same tagane-ato):

[GRC]

and another

[GRC]

another one that has that more unusual version of a shiachi:

[Spartancrest]

 

A large winged, version, a little worn but nice design. https://www.jauce.com/auction/w1046661844

 

[Spartancrest]

Well if you have the right koshirae - this is the Shachi tachi kake you need.  https://www.jauce.com/auction/f1048239985

[Tcat]

On 4/19/2022 at 10:50 AM, Spartancrest said:

Well if you have the right koshirae - this is the Shachi tachi kake you need.  https://www.jauce.com/auction/f1048239985

 

 

I sure have missed this hobby.

[Spartancrest]

Well here is another guard - seems it sold fairly cheaply back in 2019  Kinai school. [mei looks weak]

 https://www.jeffreysevans.com/auction/Japanese-edo-period-kinai-school-iron-tsuba/

[roger dundas]

You are pretty amazing Dale with all these extra morsels you bring to the NMB table, forums.

Well done and thank you.

Roger 2

[Spartancrest]

That is very nice of you to say Roger - [here I was thinking I was just being annoying!]

I found yet another namban based design. https://www.jauce.com/auction/q1015069655

These critters are starting to add up!

[Spartancrest]

At the beginning of this thread TETSUGENDO posted a great helmet of a single Shachi, well here is a double version from a Christies auction 1998.

https://www.christies.com/lot/an-iron-hoshi-bachi-helmet-the-bowl-early-1339209/?intObjectID=1339209&lid=1

[Spartancrest]

Back to the beginning of Barry's post - Shachi menuki. [or at the least a kata-menuki]  https://www.jauce.com/auction/h288259783

It says that it is in Shakudo but from the colour it looks like bronze.

[b.hennick]

Too bad that there is only one.

[GRC]

 

Looks like the exact same guard Dale posted, relisted three years later by an online dealer. Cleaned up beautifully, but a much higher price this time (10x )

I wonder how many times it changed hands from 2019 to 2022.

[Spartancrest]

Glen that is a much better image - yes the same guard, signature is much clearer.

10X the price! Wow what a difference a good clean can make!

[Spartancrest]

Now I am not sure this is a Shachi, but if not, what is it? A Kendo tie-pin from 1968 - https://www.jauce.com/auction/l364447901

 

 

It might be the Cheshire Cat-fish 

 

[Spartancrest]

Would you believe two of these going at once? This one is described as "Showa Retro Shachihoko? 1968 Taito-ku Kendo inscription tie clip"

https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/398876473

 

It looks to be in better condition. What would be the chances of two tie-pins from the one 1968 Kendo tournament selling at the same time? [What would be the chances of me finding them to fit in this thread? ]