kissakai Posted July 29, 2022 Report Posted July 29, 2022 Hi I've just bought this tsuba and I wondered about the theme I do have some tsuba that I've no idea about theme I wondered if it was from a sketch, an idea or just made it up as he went Maybe he started then kept making additions A tenuous thought was this a ring of beads Quote
kissakai Posted July 29, 2022 Author Report Posted July 29, 2022 I'd seen this (Rimbo - Buddhist Wheel of Law) before and I have a much simpler version While I'm doing well what about this Akasaka tsuba? 1 Quote
MauroP Posted July 30, 2022 Report Posted July 30, 2022 Hi Grev, the subject of Akasaka tsuba is 武 蔵 鐙 - Musashi abumi. The Stirrups of Musashi refers to a book reporting the Great fire of Meireki in 1657 (according to "Tsuba - Kodōgu Gadai Jiten" by Numata Kenji). 1 2 Quote
Curran Posted July 30, 2022 Report Posted July 30, 2022 Tom nailed it. Then Mauro put the smackdown on a theme I didn't know. By the way, veeeerry nice Akasaka. Do you know the thickness of that one? Quote
GRC Posted July 30, 2022 Report Posted July 30, 2022 The first one definitely looks like a rimbo/rinpo/rinpou 輪宝it, and it looks like the ends of the spokes are either jewels (which are often seen in these wheel motifs, like in the image below), or maybe even the tips of vajra (a handheld scepter with Buddhist symbolism). The rinpo is a Buddhist symbol shaped like a wheel with eight spokes (usually 8). The eight spokes represent the Buddhist "eighfold path" to reach enlightenment (don't ask me what the eight steps are though) Quote
kissakai Posted July 30, 2022 Author Report Posted July 30, 2022 Two great results - thanks A quick search of the Akasaka tsuba but I can't see the design and the relationship to the book Curran it is 72 x 71 x 7.2mm and is papered 1 Quote
Spartancrest Posted July 30, 2022 Report Posted July 30, 2022 Grev, nothing exists in isolation! This is a stock photo - they want to charge money for something already in the public domain. This is a guard found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art no. 36.120.179 Diam. 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm); thickness 3/16 in. (0.5 cm); Wt. 3.7 oz. (104.9 g) Quote
kissakai Posted July 30, 2022 Author Report Posted July 30, 2022 Was there any more info on the Met museum? Mine is: 8.3 x 8.3 x 0.55 cm It is also about 0.3 cm concave Quote
Spartancrest Posted July 30, 2022 Report Posted July 30, 2022 Unfortunately the Met is pretty poor on its information on about 80% of the guards - no more information is available, other than who gifted the guard to the museum. The measurements are pretty close! Do you have the weight of yours? Quote
kissakai Posted July 30, 2022 Author Report Posted July 30, 2022 No weight but due to the size they have to be close. Museum info is usually a bit dodgy anyway 1 Quote
MauroP Posted July 30, 2022 Report Posted July 30, 2022 Here the relevant entry for Musashi abumi. See also https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/むさしあぶみ. Unfortunately I'm unable to find a reference in a Western language. Quote
SteveM Posted July 30, 2022 Report Posted July 30, 2022 It's a bit difficult. I would think it was a suzumushi motif. But its all antennae and no bug. Hard to say for sure what it is. suzumushi 鈴虫 = cricket Quote
Bugyotsuji Posted July 30, 2022 Report Posted July 30, 2022 Mauro your description says that from *ancient times Abumi were made for the aristocracy in the Musashi area. *Heian 1 Quote
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