Meaning of "beam" on Tosogu

Curran · January 19, 2022

Interesting explanations.

--I always took them to be the two blocks used to hold scrolls open when reading or writing.

See any Korean or Chinese historical drama whenever anyone is reading, writing, signing anything. Also good for knocking noggins.

Itomagoi · January 19, 2022

Something great has come together here. :-)
I have here two more examples.

GRC · January 19, 2022

Based on what we have so far, my best guesses are:

top one: Hyoshigi (rythym sticks)

bottom one: Sangi (counting sticks), making the numbers 1, 2,3,4 ... perhaps arranged in the correct order to show a particular movement in swordsmanship, like a kata maybe?

Peter, thanks for starting this thread by asking the question. It's been fun so far. I sure learned a lot from everyone's inputs.

mecox · January 20, 2022

Peter, Piers, Glen. A simple topic that gets complicated. There are 5-6 common items used in the "bar" design: hyoshigi (clapper sticks), jogi (ruler/measuring stick), sangi (counting sticks/braces), kiku (carpenters square), ikada (raft), but various others. A complicated one is genjiko, based on incense sticks (senko) or just sticks, where 5 are used for different combinations (total of 52). The basic tsuba type being considered here is referred to as "ko-sukashi" (negative relief, where metal is removed to make the design). This simple form was commonly made in the Muromachi period by swordsmiths (ko-tosho) or armour makers (ko-katchushi) on iron plate tsuba (ita gane tsuba). There were others made in the Edo period by tsuba-shi, and these often were more detailed. The ko-sukashi tsuba were also copied in Edo period on soft metals. The basic ones being discussed, are various "bars", which no doubt had meaning for the tsuba-maker, but are open to be variously interpreted over time. There are many such open work designs, some being very clever. Another form of sukashi tsuba is that of positive relief (ji-sukashi) where the design is based on the metal that is retained.

Following is a link to a summary: Japanese Sword (cox website) » Sukashi Tetsu Tsuba (on.net).

Spartancrest · January 20, 2022

Peter it was nice to see the second guard example with a conventionalized lattice barrier or 'Kakine' (垣根), also used to signify sacred places.

GRC · January 20, 2022

Dale, I hadn't seen that Kakine motif before. Great hunting on your part, as usual :thumbsup:

What do you think it might mean in the context of the other 1, 2 and 3 sticks on the tsuba?

Mal, I didn't think of including the carpenter's square, rafts, or Genji-mon in the list because they might be straying a bit from "simple" beams or sticks?

Although, I can see how this Kanayama one, crosses into that realm:

I actually wasn't quite sure what this particular motif was trying to represent, so thanks for clearing that one up for me.

I didn't expect a "T-square" motif.

I have seen the occasional hammer motif in tsuba, but there are so many other carpenter tools that don't seem to be represented in tsuba design.

Does anyone know why carpenter's squares were used as motifs in tsuba?

Is it some sort of allegory for "precision" or "exactitude" in ideals and/or battle?

GRC · January 20, 2022

BEAMS/BARS/STICKS MOTIF SUMMARY (updated)

These associations are not absolutes, and should be evaluated in the context of a specific tsuba’s collection of design motifs.

1- Long skinny, 2 sticks, with square ends: JOGI (measuring sticks/rulers)

2- Thicker, 2 sticks, with square ends, side by side or crossing each other: HYOSHIGI 拍子木 (clappers/rhythm sticks)... which has connections to kabuki and battle signaling.

拍子木 Hyoshigi sticks/clappers, used to signal the start of battle; still used in Sumo timing today.

Varieties are used by priests, and local fire patrols.

The hyōshigi is a simple Japanese musical instrument, consisting of two pieces of hardwood or bamboo often connected by a thin ornamental rope. The clappers are played together or on the floor to create a cracking sound. Sometimes they are struck slowly at first, then faster and faster. Also very prevalent in kabuki.

3. If the sticks are stacked side by side (2 or more sticks), often with the ends nearly even relative to each other, and sometimes appear to be bound (b,c,d), or are also in the presence of a pole (b), or a flower motif (a,c,d): IKADA (raft)

a) b) c) d)

4- I am not sure if these would look much different from #1 or #2, but presumably one or more sticks would be perfectly parallel and level or also involve some perpendicular sticks too: SANGI 算木(counting sticks)

like these maybe:

Owari tsuba from Sasano: "cross braces (Sangi)" This could be Sangi showing “steps 1,2,3,4”?

5- Four right angle sticks that form a box with overhanging tips: KAKINE (垣根). It represents a lattice barrier that signifies a sacred place. (researched by Dale)

....which is present in the tsuba shown in #4 (which may also represent SANGI)

which is present in the tsuba shown in #4 which may also represent SANGI

6- arrangements of multiple bars, with some connected to form right angles: GENJI-MON which make reference to specific chapters in the 54 chapters of the Tale of Genji.

7- vertical parallel bars with with rounded ends (maybe a key feature here?), has two possible interpretations so far:

a) NIBIKI (RISING MIST BANDS). This is how Sasano described these first two tsuba examples sold at Sotheby's.

...although "mist" is typically represented by horizontal bars that have a flowing connection to each other (third image below).

b) SCHOLAR'S SCROLLS. Sergei Varshavsky suggested this alternate explanation for the VERTICAL BARS with rounded ends, by referring to descriptions in "Symbols of Japan", by Merilly Baird.

VERTICAL AND SEPARATE: HORIZONTAL AND FLOWING:

8- two connected bars forming a right-angle shape, that can be either an “L” or “T” form.

9- rows of horizontal bars (usually wavy-sided) that overhang two non-wavy vertical bars at the left and right sides of the tsuba: HOSHINAMAKO (drying rack for sea cucumber)

10- more than two and up to 8, staggered "blocks", that are touching/connected (usually accompanied by some type of garden or pond motif): YATSUHASHI wood plank walking bridges

11- Tapered bars radiating outward from the center can be "rays of light" to represent the Sun’s rays (a,b) or the "glow of enlightenment" often shown in paintings of Buddha: these “AMIDA” rays are often filed or chiseled into the surface of the plate (c,d).

a) b) c) d)