Gama hada

Fuuten · August 6, 2019

This is the first time i saw this type of decoration and I had an eye on then since a day or two and thought they were interesting.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/A272-Real-old-iron-Japanese-sword-guard-pair-WANGATA-TSUBA-RARE-design-/333282663911?hash=item4d9931dde7

I'm *scrapped* an idiot

Stephen · August 6, 2019

Old as my green bananas...but still have a certain Jena se qua.

uwe · August 7, 2019

Axel,

this decoration is known as “sawari”.

Quite uncommon for tsuba and had nothing to do with gold or silver, like mentioned in the description!

IanB · August 7, 2019

Axel,Sawari is actually an alloy of copper, tin, lead and arsenic.

Ian Bottomley

Bazza · August 7, 2019

IMHO the "drops" on the tsuba are silver, not sawari. For an extensive study and reading on the subject of sawari put the word into the SEARCH field when in the View New Content window.

The most pertinent reading is surely this link http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/6505-a-sawari-zogan-tsuba/.

Post #14 is from Ford Hallam and I've copied his salient point below:

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I would also point out, as does Marc, that sawari/sahari is always finished flush with the steel ground into which it is fused. On your example the clouds are clearly carved in relief and stand proud of the surrounding ground.

It may help to consider that the alloy is typically applied in a manner similar to the process employed in champlevé enamelling. The alloy is filled up to produce a fine powder which is then packed into the prepared cavity ( when I experimented with this process years ago I added a little borax powder to the metal) this is then brought up to melting temperature. Once cooled the excess metal is ground off leaving the alloy flush with the surrounding steel surface. The most characteristic feature of sawari inlay is the appearance of bubbles and sunken areas of roughened metal. This has often, inaccurately been described as being some sort metal rot or corrosion. It is simply the result of pockets of air being trapped in the metal powder when it was melted and in some areas the alloy not being sufficient to fill the cavities. These apparent imperfections were seemingly appreciated in their own right.

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BaZZa.

uwe · August 7, 2019

Thanks for the link BaZZa!

Hmm.....,

Sawari application on an Kaga armor!

Fuuten · August 7, 2019

From searching about this type of decoration i was under the impression (see below link) - it was gamahada not sawari?

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/29369-techniques-of-tsuba-makers/

IanB · August 7, 2019

Fuuten, Sawari when used on armour was often applied as 'droplets' on the russet iron background to imitate raindrops. It was clearly a difficult effect to achieve. A helmet attributed to Ryoei in the shape of an egg-plant (nasu) in the Royal Armouries collection has been over-heated slightly causing what should be individual droplets to 'flash' and spread as a film over the surface. The term gama hada seems to be confined to its use on sword furniture.

Ian Bottomley.

Bugyotsuji · August 10, 2019

Recently I came across the use of 'Gamahada-fu no Ji-arashi' when describing the rough ji ground in the Setsumei of a Kamiyoshi Juyo iron tsuba.

Knobbly/warty skin.

Spartancrest · January 18, 2021

This topic goes back in time awhile but I have two examples of Gama-hada one a very small kogai and the other a lens shaped wangata tsuba where the silver has been over heated and spread like the description above from Ian Bottomley. I have not seen many gama-hada on auction sites but there are a number in museum collections. It would appear to be a difficult technique and you only get the one chance to get the temperature right. You may notice I underlined lens shape - while we all have seen oval shaped tsuba I have never seen a lens shape [the two are not the same] I would love to see other examples.