Floral ornament on Japanese Sword Furniture

[Spartancrest]

I have some information on the plant types used by the Japanese for decoration on sword fittings. If there is general interest I can supply the list in text format - the image is from one of my books and may not be very clear.

[zanilu]

Thank you Dale.

It would be great to have it in text format!

 

Best Regards

Luca

[Brian]

Love to hear more! Sounds very useful

[Geraint]

And perhaps it could find a home in the Articles section for future reference?

 

All the best.

[Spartancrest]

Botanical names of flora used as decoration on Japanese sword furniture:

Taken from

CATALOGUE OF SPECIMENS OF Japanese LACQUER & METAL WORK.

EXHIBITED IN 1894

Part II.

THE FURNITURE OF THE SWORD.

By A. H. CHURCH.

As to one class of decorative motives - those borrowed from the vegetable kingdom - it is by no means an easy matter to gather complete information …...... the precise identification of the many plants represented on the metal accessories of the sword not having attracted the attention it deserves. On this account a list is given in an Appendix-[see below] of the systematic names of a number of plants which the amateur of tsuba, kozuka and fuchi-kashira, is not unlikely to encounter, and some of which are exceedingly common.

 

Abies firma.

Acer palmatum.

Agaricus sp.

Alisma plantago.

Althaea rosea.

Amygdalus persica.

Anemone hepatica: A. cemua.

Anthisteria arguens.

Artemisia japonica.

Arundinaria japonica.

Asarum caulescens: A. variegatum.

Aster tataricus.

Azalea indica.

Bambusa nana: B. pygmaea.

Begonia evansiana, and other species.

Broussonetia papyrifera.

Calystegia japonica.

Camellia japonica : C. sasanqua:

C. theifera.

Capsicum annuum: C. anomalum.

Castanea sativa.

Chamaecyparis obtusa.

Chrysanthemum coronarium.

Citrullus edulis.

Citrus aurantium.

Clematis florida: C. patens.

Cleyera japonica.

Crataegus cuneata.

Cryptomeria japonica.

Cucurbita pepo.

Cycas revoluta.

Cyperus iria.

Dianthus japonicus: D. caryophyllus.

Dioscorea japonica.

Diospyros kaki.

Eleusine coracana.

Equisetum sp.

Eulalia japonica.

Eupatorium japonicum.

Fagus sieboldii.

Funkia ovata.

Gentiana buergerii: G. scabra.

Ginkgo biloba.

Gleichenia dichotoma.

Glycine soja.

Hibiscus mutabilis: H. syriacus.

Hydrangea hortensis.

Inula helenium.

Ipomaea hederacea.

Ilex sieboldii.

Iris laevigata: I. japonica: I. sibirica:

I. textorum.

Jasminum sieboldianum.

Juglans regia.

Juncus effusus.

Kerria japonica.

Lagenaria vulgaris.

Larix leptolepis.

Lespedeza bicoloi: L. juncea.

Lilium auratum: L. japonicum:

L. lancifolium (thunbergianum).

Magnolia conspicua: leuca.

Mangifera indica.

Melia azedarach.

Momordica charantia.

Musa sapientum.

Nandina domestica.

Nerine japonica.

Nuphar japonicum.

Nymphaea tetragona.

Oryza sativa.

Paeonia moutan: P. albiflora.

Papaver rhoeas: P. somniferum.

Passiflora coerulea.

Patrinia scabiosaefolia.

Paulownia imperialis.

Pennisetum typhoideum.

Photinia japonica.

Physalis alkekengi.

Planera japonica (=Zelkowa keaki).

Platycodon grandiflorum.

Pinus densiflora: P. thunbergii.

Prunus japonica: P. mume:

P. pseudo-cerasus.

Pyrus japonica: P. malus:

P. spectabilis: P. ussuriensis.

Quercus dentata: Q. serrata,

and other species.

Raphanus sativus.

Rhodea japonica.

Rhododendron indicum.

Rhus vernicifera.

Rosa indica: R. banksiae.

Sagittaria sagittaefolia: S. pygmaea.

Salix japonica and other species.

Saxifraga sarmentosa.

Setaria italica.

Solanum melongena.

Sonchus oleracea.

Tecoma grandiflora.

Thujopsis dolabrata.

Trapa bispinosa.

Vigna catiang.

Vinca rosea.

Vitis inconstans: V. labrusca.

Wistaria sinensis.

Zea mays.

 

 [# SOME SPELLINGS HAVE CHANGED SINCE 1894]

[b.hennick]

Thanks for this. Here it is in one page

Botanical names of flora used as decoration on Japanese sword furniture.docx

[MauroP]

Here below an updated list of plants related to Japanese sword mountings. Some additions, some substitutions, few cancellations of species inconsistent with Edo/pre-Edo Japan.
The images of plants are taken mainly from Wikipedia, tsuba and kodogu from my own pieces and from museums offering open-source images.
Enjoy and don't take too seriously the pompous title of "Flora Hoplontologica Japonica".

FHJ part 1.pdf

[MauroP]

As above, part 2

FHJ part 2.pdf

[zanilu]

Grazie Mauro...

Lavoro fantastico!

[Steves87]

To add to all this, I would like to recommend purchasing any of Dale's books.

The time, thought and content in all of his books are of high standard. I think the image first posted above is a pretty good example 

[Brian]

Superb! That is fantastic Mauro!
I bet the sword societies would love to publish that. Bravo.....can I have permission to upload it to the articles section?

[MauroP]

Thank you Brian, of course I'll be honored if you could host the pdf in the articles section.

Here below a link to a single file version. I hope to further expand the compilation as far as I'm collecting new relevant images. Contributions and corrections are welcomed.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0zgw014ne3fx5jp/FHJ.pdf?dl=0

 

[b.hennick]

Thanks Mauro! Great work. 

[Brian]

Hi Mauro,
Now that I have a gap, I wanted to download and host that single file version. But the link is dead. Can you message me a new link, or maybe we can do it via email. Thanks.

[MauroP]

Sorry Brian, something went wrong with an update. Here a new link:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/frt7dkpoj6b5x8y/FHJ.pdf?dl=0