Konashimono info

[Nihonto student]

Dear members,

during my reading I came across the term konashimono and I kindly ask for your contribution as I can't find anything about it on the web. In particular I would like to understand the difference between a konashimono and an utsushi, also if you can tell me which schools/swordsmiths during the Shinto period were inclined to forge these blades maybe with some photos would be great!

[Geraint]

Dear Giordy.

 

A new term for me, (there are just so many!)

 

"KONASHIMONO – Shinto blades with some faking to look like koto."  (From https://www.samuraisword.com/about-swords/glossary/#1525890402753-70eaa809-a259 )

As oposed to, "UTSUSHI-MONO / UTSUSHIMONO – Copies or recreations of past masterpieces (not to be confused with forgeries)"

 

Given these then perhaps the difference could be characterised as in one case a deliberate attempt to deceive as opposed to an attempt to learn by copying to understand the technique of a master smith.

 

I suppose that those making konashimono would not advertise so very lttle known about them except for Kajihei, about whom more here, https://markussesko.com/2019/12/31/kajihei-鍛冶平/

 

All the best.

 

Edit to add.  Some years ago there was an exhibition called, "The Beauty of Shinsakuto" which brought together works by many of the leading smiths of the day.  The exhibition was brought to London by the Token Society who did a translation of the catalogue which was subtitled, "Challenge to Masterpeieces of the Old Japanese Sword".  Indeed the word challenge appears throughout the catalogue and I think conveys the spirit of utsushimono very well.  

[Nihonto student]

Dear Geraint,

first of all thank you for your contribution, I agree with you that the"Intention"to forge is the major difference,but from a kantei point of view I think it's hard to judge the intention, especially for a mumei blade... if someone can post some example would be very interesting 

[Geraint]

Dear Giordy.

 

Certainly all the swords in the exhibition I referenced were proudly signed by the maker, even though some were direct utsushi of existing well known blades.  From time to time you do hear of certain smiths who were very good and whose blades had the mei removed to pass as Koto and by a good smith.  In this light I think we are talking about at least three categories utsushi mono, made to investigate technique or demonstrate mastery and signed by the maker, deliberate forgeries, sometimes with a gimei added sometimes left intentionally blank, and blades turned into forgeries by someone who thinks the work could pass as a great smith if only that mei could be removed.  

 

Now we are entering all the troubled waters of faking in general.  Take a really good Shinto blade, turn it into an o-suriage, add some mekugi ana, taking care to make them spool shaped, add just a hint of provenance and away you go. Do all this badly and you and I might spot it, do it really well and who knows how far it can go?  Throw into the mix Daimyo who were 'creating' big name swords when they ran out of real ones for rewards for their retainers.

 

It would be nice to see detailed discussions about why a shinsa team decided that an apparent Koto masterpiece was in fact a fake but it seems such a discussion by experts is not forthcoming.

 

Not sure if any of that is relevant to your enquiry but it got me thinking.

 

All the best.

[Bugyotsuji]

Although the word was used enough by someone ‘in the know’ (nudge nudge, wink wink) to make it onto that list, it is not strictly an item of ‘sword’ vocabulary per se, but a rather unsavory word that could be used in other fields to suggest skulduggery.
‘Konasu’ has a series of meanings, from good to bad, and its nebulous nature is useful to suggest dodgy line blurring.

It can mean cutting up into smaller pieces and digesting, or mastering some difficult technique, carrying out a special job, or blending and adjusting to shapeshift or morph seamlessly into something else.

 

Thus the word konashimono suggests a clever transfiguration. It is probably not used or even really known by most people but would be recognized by the underground fraternity/sorority.

 

Utsushi or utsushimono is conceptually altogether more honest and upfront, the way most artisans learn their skills.

[Geraint]

Thank you Piers, that really makes sense now.

 

All the best.

[Nihonto student]

Thank you Piers for your grammatical explanation, I understood that I was wrong in understanding the term because, being generic, the manipulation of the blade
it may have been made by other people as well not just the smith.

All the best