Menuki design. What are they?

[Logan09]

Any clue what these are portraying? Been looking for a plain design for a Tsuka and got these. I originally thought some kind of leaves, but I don't think so. Any ideas?

-Logan-

[Ganko]

Never seen that motif before. Maybe water flowing around stones in a stream, but the golden cord?

 

  TomC

[raynor]

A plant or maybe shinto arrangement like they do with daikons?

[Ganko]

These menuki are like a Rorschach test :-)

 

 TomC

[Logan09]

Haha, thanks for the chuckle TomC. But, you're correct.

[Brian Ayres]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/muza-chan.net/Japan/index.php/amp/Japanese-tea-houses-mistery-of-rope-tied-stones

 

Maybe?

[kissakai]

I wondered about roped stones but the 'nobbly' bits must indecate something else

Best I can do is a partially opened flower with flower spikes

A toughie

[Tanto54]

I thought that Grev's call (a partially opened flower with spikes) was a possibility.  I'm assuming that the silver inlay (most of which has fallen out) depicts water droplets or dew, so petals or leaves would be a good possibility.  Logan, when you look at them in hand, do you think that all the small circles and holes are where inlay have fallen out?  Lost inlay of water droplets or spray usually appears as a small round circle often with an even smaller square hole in the middle (where the stem of the inlay was hammered down into in order to secure it in place).  Two or three of the inlay are still there and look to me like small silver domes probably depicting water droplets.  If those are supposed to be water droplets, then plant petals or leaves seems like a good possibility for the main shapes (perhaps something similar to a fish bento or rice balls wrapped and tied in lotus leaves).  I also sometimes see those kind of water droplets on some aquatic subjects like sea cucumbers, etc.

[Logan09]

After looking at them more closely, yes all the other circles are missing inlay. It also does appear there are smaller "petals" above the big ones. Thanks for all the replies.

[Peter Bleed]

I'll tell you what these are.

They're wonderful!

Peter