Interesting fuchi, kashira, tsuba.

[Janrudolph]

Good day all! It's a blustery autumn morning here in the Western Cape. I've gone and taken some better pictures (not without a struggle) of my wakizashi fittings. Some knowledgeable friends on the Nihonto-related board have suggested the waki to be at least meiji. I would like to know if the design on the fuchi and kashira (see below) are traditional Japanese and if they can be reliably interpreted. See, I can go and imagine what I see, but then it will be for fun only. I want to better understand Japanese culture as it represents itself in my waki fittings. Please help, friends! Johan

[Janrudolph]

[Janrudolph]

[Janrudolph]

[Janrudolph]

Sorry guys, I'm disgusted with my photos. I don't have the apparatus for macrophotography. The last two seem better.  Johan

[kissakai]

Hi Johan

After having a smart phone for years I only found out a few weeks ago that there camera features available.

On the menu at the bottom of the page there should be an option called 'more' selecting this may give you more options

You can also download a camera app for macro mode

I thing your images are OK (good enough to get some feedback)

Lighting is the key - try taking images outside in natural light but not too sunny

 

 

[Janrudolph]

 Good advice, Grev! Worth looking into. I would like to know if the design on the fuchi and kashira (see above) are traditional Japanese and if they can be reliably interpreted. I can imagine what I see, but that will be for fun only. I want to better understand Japanese culture as it represents itself in my waki fittings. Please help. Johan

[Brian]

Jan, the f/k are real and antique. I don't think there is such a thing as "traditional Japanese" designs as such. They are what you see...a landscape. No interpretation needed, not everything referred to a legend or story. In this case, they depict a .... hut, and trees. Nothing of a revelation
 

[Janrudolph]

Thanks for coming in, Brian. In post #3 I see something I first imagined to be a person, but later it looked more like a signature kanji (!) situated near the cornerpost of the right-hand hut. The inlet metals I think are copper, silver and gold. The iron seems to be patinated to a brown colour. I marvel at the craftmanship, even though I am willing to accept that these f/k are not examples of top notch koshirae. What do you think? Johan

[John A Stuart]

Investigate the meaning behind shan shui. There are certain common elements that define it. Adopted by some Japanese artists and reflected taste in other craftwork. John

[Janrudolph]

Thanks for coming in, John! I'm wondering also if the design of the tsuba bears any relationship to the f/k. If there is no relationship, does it mean the three items are not a set? Am I justified to think the three items are meant to be a set? Johan  

[Janrudolph]

[Brian]

Not a set, but then the merchants and samurai back then weren't as concerned as we are today with having things match.

[Janrudolph]

If I may be so bold as to keep harping on the matter of design and interpretations, and ask if the picture of the gun, the ammunition, the dog and the bird in the sky is a known Japanese theme, sometimes seen on tsuba? I really appreciate you and the members sharing with me on this matter. That gun is identical to an Edo/Meiji-period matchlock-converted-to-percussion Japanese musket I have looked up on internet. Johan    

[Brian]

It's not depicting a converted gun, it's depicting a matchlock.
Not aware of the significance. I think it's just a hunter with his equipment.

[Janrudolph]

Perhaps you will grant me a last few questions to you and the members. In post #3 I see something I first imagined to be a figure, but later it looked more like a signature kanji (!) placed near the cornerpost of the right-hand hut. The inlet metals I think are copper, silver and gold. My one question is: Whereas a gold decoration on any art object at today's prices would be deemed special, I think that in late Edo or meiji times the yellow metal was regarded with less reverance and used even on lower-grade sword koshirae. What do you think? And secondly, if at all that "figure" is a kanji in gold, put there as a mark or signature token in gold, would that be a feature frequently seen on tsuba? (I'm not referring to a full signature, but a mark such as this one.) Thank you so much if there are some comments on this! Johan  

[Brian]

No signature...wouldn't be placed there either. Nor any other special mark. It's just a representation of foliage or a person.
The amount of gold used is so minute, that it doesn't really bear mentioning. It's just the lightest of gold coatings. maybe mercury gilding. We need to be careful not to read too much into Japanese fittings. These were considered user-grade and churned out by the thousands. Studying top level stuff is what puts all the usual stuff into perspective.

[Professor Zhirinovsky]

It's funny to think that the gun/ammo/dog/bird on-the-wing motif is the same thing you'd see machine-engraved on a typical hunting shotgun stock today. Some things transcend time and culture. 

[Janrudolph]

Prof, one would like to think that the shotgun stock engraving designer copied the ancient art form, but it is probably not the case. It raises the question: where do engravers get their ideas from? To put it differently: who did the engravers copy? I readily do accept that certain top engravers are superbly talented and can really generate fresh ideas. Also regarding accuracy of copying: The engraver of the tsuba scene might be criticised for inaccurately rendering the matchlock. Today such stylised renderings aren't frowned upon. Johan