Choshu Scenic Tsuba

[rematron]

A few months ago this tsuba sparked my imagination and I won it in auction after a little battle.  The fine detail of the carving greatly appeals to me.  I can stare at it and feel like I am there sitting in the teahouse, or floating on the lake in a little boat and playing a game of GO, or treading across the river trying to keep my balance as the water rushes around my legs, or trekking up the mountain past the waterfall, to the temple in the distance, or relaxing under the full canopy of a tree with my back up against its trunk, or following the path leading me to the dark entrance of a great cavern.  

I’ve been trying to discover what the theme of this tsuba is.  At first I thought it was depicting Mount Penglai (Mount Horai in Japanese mythos), but after searching a while in NMB I came across this thread: “Fishing in Springtime Kofu Tsuba”  (link is below) which led me to researching ‘Dewa Sanzan’ and ‘The Three Mountains of Dewa’.  I believe this is probably what the tsuba is depicting but I would like to hear any other theories or confirmation. 

The biggest clue pointing to Dewa Sanza turned out to be the cave depicted on the ura side of the tusba.  I found this reference when reading about Mount Gassan Shrine and believe it may be what the cave represents. (screenshot of history text below and link to website)  Might it be the “cave of Yaotome no Ura” and “The landing place of Prince Hachiko, the founder of the three mountains of Dewa”?

 

One of the details I am most impressed with (and charmed by) on this tsuba is the game of GO being played on the boat.  The artist actually managed to carve a grid on the tiny board.  I used to love to play GO.  Someday I’ll find some more people to play with.

One question (among many) that I have is, what is this armature sticking up from the mountain side?  (circled in red) It kind of looks like a tori that is missing one of its legs.  However, that doesn’t make any sense being that the carving is almost definitely deliberate.  Can anyone shine a light on what it is?  

 

Another thing I’m wondering is if anyone has seen a painting or print with this scene.  I’ve seen a number of tsuba depicting a similar setting and am curious if the artists are drawing from some other specific work.

 

Thanks for reading.  

 

Mei: Choshu Hagi-ju Tomohisa Saku

 

8.4 x 7.9 x .0.4cm

This is the link to the website. You can choose to translate to English and then go to ‘History’ to find the text I took a screenshot of. 

http://www.dewasanzan.jp/smarts/index/6/
 

 

[Dan tsuba]

Hey Jeremy!

 

Wow, no one replied to your post!  Bummer!  That is a nice tsuba!  Congratulations!

 

I don't know anything about your tsuba, but I like how you found the guys playing the game of "go" on the boat.  I bet that is a rare thing to see in a tsuba!

 

With respect,

Dan

[rematron]

Thanks, Dan.  I'm still really curious about the pole sticking out of the forest by the temple.  Maybe it's a banner pole without the banner?

[Dan tsuba]

Yes Jeremy, maybe some sort of banner pole without the banner.  Or maybe it was used to mark the entrance to the village?  So, the pole marks the entrance to the village that is evidently in the mountains (as shown by the mountains in the background). Then it looks like you pass some sort of temple.  Then as you continue down hill you pass a waterfall , a bridge (?) and some beautiful trees.  As you continue on in the village you come to a house that seems to be built next to a smaller waterfall (which is on the left and the house looks to be built on some stilts or pilings) with people on the terrace (a tea house?).  Then you have the people on the boat in the small lake who are playing a game of "go".

 

A very "relaxing" scene and a wonderful piece of art (hey, just my opinion!).  I can definetly see what you were describing in the first paragraph of your first post!

 

One question.  How did you take such great pictures of the detail of the tsuba?

 

With respect,

Dan

 

[rematron]

If it were a banner post without a banner, it would be interesting to learn what the artist felt that symbolizes though I could take a guess. Perhaps it means that this place was not to be claimed by any particular ruling party or to be in any particular time period. Timeless and resided over by the kami. 
 

According to the linked thread, the theme and images are traditional and based on ‘something’ which is why I am interested in learning the source which I believe could possibly be a print but that’s just a guess. Anyways, supposedly at the base of the mountain with the temple there is a teahouse.
 

However, from my own research and looking at google maps and actually following the roads and looking at tons of tourist photos, there currently isn’t a lake with a tea house at any of of the three mountains of Dewa Sanza. So, I’m wondering if this is more story/myth mixed with reality like the cave, which if it were on the coast is very far away from Dewa Sanza.  
 

The photos were taken outdoors in late morning sunlight with my 2+ year old iPhone12 on 5x magnification mode. 

[Bugyotsuji]

The train signal up there is a puzzle for me. A torii part destroyed in a typhoon?

 

The boat (banana leaf?) 'shelter' is not of a type I would ever associate with Japan, but I am willing to learn.

[rematron]

I hadn’t considered the boat design, Piers. That’s a good observation. I’m not at all fluent with ancient Japanese boat design. Perhaps this is a Chinese design that fell out of popularity in Japan?  592 was pretty long ago. 

[Spartancrest]

The boat looks almost Polynesian

 

 

Three tsuba with the subject of players of Go  [also apparently spelled Goh, at least in 1911] The tsuba are from Henri Joly's collection - they can also be found in his "Legend in Japanese Art" book.   Is it just me or does the author of this article Horace F Cheshire look a lot like 'Dr Fu Manchu'?

       ?

 

 

 

 

Another tsuba with players is from the Cleveland Art Museum [number 1942.405]

[rematron]

I believe the basic structure of the boat is the typical donko-bune that we see on many tsuba and wood block prints. It is long and narrow and slightly curved. It sits low in the water. The bow of the boat is slightly squared off but can also be pointed. The design is very similar to river skiffs in both China and Korea. Below are pics of examples from all three countries. I think the structure behind the GO player on the left is a sun shade and not a sail. I think the boat is controlled via long pole by the third person in the boat who happens to be sitting at the bow at the moment (for comfort perhaps) but would move to the stern when they are ready to return to shore. He doesn’t seem to be doing anything at the moment but maybe watching the game.  My reasoning is that the purpose of the boat ride seems to be one of leisure and to play a game of GO and not to reach a destination. It would be difficult to play GO and sail at the same time. Especially in such a narrow boat. My other reasoning is that the entirety of the shade structure seems to join to the boat and does not seem movable. A sail would need to be able to rotate or have some sort of freedom to catch wind. There also appears to be decorative trim on ‘sail’ which is more indicative of an awning. 

1. tsuba with cormorant on skiff

2. Chinese skiff with cormorants 

3. Chinese painting

4. Korean painting

5. Chinese skiff

6. modern sun shade apparatus

7. Japanese skiff

8. Japanese skiff

9. Japanese woodblock print

 

[rematron]

1. Korean skiff with sail

2. modern shade apparatus 

3. Korean painting

4. Chinese skiff

5. Japanese woodblock print

6. Japanese woodblock print 

7. Japanese woodblock print

8. Japanese woodblock print

 

[rematron]

Photo showing scale of detail. Sorry to use American currency on an international forum. The coin (penny) is about the size of your thumbnail. 
 

 

[rematron]

Similar boat scene on an old Chinese scroll. Notice the trim on the shade. 
 

 

[rematron]

I found a couple of temple nobori images on the web. The poles are bare in the second image. 
 

 

[Bazza]

On June 8th Jeremy (the OP) said:

One question (among many) that I have is, what is this armature sticking up from the mountain side?  (circled in red) It kind of looks like a tori that is missing one of its legs.  However, that doesn’t make any sense being that the carving is almost definitely deliberate.  Can anyone shine a light on what it is?  

 

Well, I have no insight, but I did see the following on a mate's sword and wondered if it 'fits the bill'.

 

BaZZa.

 

                              

 

[rematron]

That's an interesting tosogu theme, Barry!  I like it!  At this point I'm thinking the tusba is depicting a large nabori armature as pictured in the photos above.  However, it would not be far-fetched to think that a pulley was used to hoist the nabori.  

[rematron]

On 6/16/2023 at 7:27 PM, Bugyotsuji said:

 

The boat (banana leaf?) 'shelter' is not of a type I would ever associate with Japan, but I am willing to learn.

I have yet to find a picture of any old boat structure that is curved like this.  After scouring the internet for a couple hours, I was able to find this contemporary chair example. Obviously, rattan and bamboo have been used for a long long time in this manner. Even though the chair itself is not that old, the technique and even perhaps the design certainly are.  But, from where?

[Larason2]

I thought it was a stylized sail? Seen from the side it's possible. Otherwise, Chinese sampans often had curved wooden shades on their boats, and it's not too far from that.

[rematron]

Hi Carlos.  It's possible, I suppose.  My reasoning for my thinking that it's not a sail is spelled out above.  I'd also like to add to the list that if it were a sail, it appears to be on the aft side of the boat making it look as though the boat is sailing backwards.  With the level of detail on the rest of the tusba, it's hard for me to believe that the artist could not carve a definite sail if they wanted to and carve the boat in a way as to show the bow of the boat congruent with the sail.  

 

Chinese sampans do have shades similar to this as the photos above show but the tsuba depiction (if it is a shade/shelter) is distinctly different. 

 

This is all my opinion, of course.  And my rationale behind it.  I could absolutely be wrong.  What I'd like to see is some old scroll or painting that depicts this scene.  From examining my tsuba and others like it (like the one in the thread above) I feel like it is based on another prior original image or story which could be a clue to what we are actually looking at, including my assumption about the nabori armature.

[Larason2]

Yes, you could be right. It seems to me that since they tended to be bespoke made, these kinds of boats had a wide variety of designs, which could apply to any shades as well. This particular shade looks as though it could be swivelled up like this, or swivelled back down depending on the weather. Otherwise why have the trim it does? Also, more asian shades on boats tended to cover more.

[GoldenDrachen]

I also have a theory on the motif here:

Ode to the Red Cliff

And here is the story behind it:

 

could it be the case?

 

Regards

Vitaly 

[rematron]

Vitaly @GoldenDrachen, nice find with that scroll!  Thanks for adding to the conversation and giving me a new path to investigate!  That's the closest we've come to finding a similar boat.  In the literal sense, a boat with passengers on my tsuba and perhaps a bit of cliff on the ura side, are the only things that match up to the Red Cliff story.  There is much more evidence aligning with the Dewa story.  The tsuba posted in the thread above (Fishiing in Springtime Kofu Tsuba) which I have pasted an image of below has many of the same evidence elements of mine, with the exception of the added cave scene (and small cliff) on the ura side.  Notice that the boat is different from the one on my tsuba as well, in that it is more traditionally Japanese looking and without the added shelter embellishment. 

 

Now, it is very possible that the tosogi who created my tsuba (please excuse the repeated "my tsuba" - it's just the easiest way to refer to the one I'm playing custodian to and trying to understand) ... the tosogi wanted to invoke a story within a story with the carving and depiction of a similar boat to the Red Cliff scroll you posted above.  It would not be the first time in my short time studying that I have come across a tsuba depicting more than one story.  And that is why they chose to carve a boat and passengers with obvious Chinese characteristics among a scene more in line with Japan?  The three mountains carved on both sides of my tsuba could be symbolically referring to the "Three Kingdoms" (Wikipedia link and excerpt below). 

 

Records of the Three Kingdoms - Wikipedia

 

As is the case with many Japanese mythos, there is often a congruence to a Chinese story.  A direct example is the Mount Horai of Japan compared to the Mount Penglai of China, which is what I originally thought my tsuba was depicting.  I'm wondering if George M. @Tanto54 who offered the Dewa theory on the pasted thread might have some more information or images?  Specifically, I'm curious about the teahouse on the lake being part of the Dewa story/scene.  I haven't been able to find that reference except for in tourist info but the teahouse is not on a lake.  In fact, a lake is never mentioned in tourism facts that I can find.  There is definitely a pagoda sticking up from the forest above the temple on the tsuba below.  Unfortunately, that obvious reference is missing from my example.  In its place is a mysterious pole with a cross beam... Perhaps my tsuba is depicting three stories: 'Mount Horai' and 'The Three Mountains of Dewa' and 'The Red Cliff'...

 

While I'm entertaining the possibility of multiple stories in my tsuba, that brings with it another possible explanation to the mysterious pole.  Perhaps it is a combination of 3 things: Nabori, Tori and Christian cross... Just thinking out loud now.

 

[Tanto54]

Dear Jeremy,

 

Short Answer:  I believe that your tsuba is a depiction of Mount Hōrai (Mount Penglai) for several reasons including that the building at the top of the mountain on your tsuba has Chinese style architecture (see the sloping base circled in red? Also shown on the two paintings circled in red).  I also agree that the “half Torii Gate” is actually a type of nobori (banner and/or lantern holder - see painting of Mount Horai (third photo)

with identical one at top circled in blue).  See Long Answer below (if interested...).

 

 

 

 

Longer Answer:  Haynes’ Index has about 8 guys signing Choshu Hagi ju Tomohisa.  Your mei does not match any of the known examples and a few of them (without known sample mei) didn’t work in the style of your tsuba, so that leaves only three possibilities.  All three of them worked in the early 1800’s.  Therefore, we should consider what an artist of that period would be trying to portray.  As I said in the other thread, most sansui (Chinese Landscape) tsuba that show a forested mountain with a temple/pagoda at the top are references to Mount Hōrai (Mount Penglai).  The temple/pagoda is almost always in a Chinese architectural style.  This was a very popular theme that illustrated ideas of heaven on earth and eternal life.  The location of the “mythical” island with Mount Hōrai/Penglai has been a subject of scholarly debate for centuries - with possibilities of Taiwan, Okinawa, Honshu Japan, etc.  In Japan, Mount Fuji is the top candidate even though there is a mountain actually called Mount Horai (with a famous temple Horai-ji).  The next best candidate is probably Dewa Sanzan (one of the most holy places in Japan).  As you know, tsuba are very small “canvases”, and while the makers often use paintings for inspiration, the images must be adapted to the smaller tsuba form.  Therefore, the artist will add clues to try to make their meaning clear.  While the mountains on your tsuba are very close to the mountains on the other tsuba, both depictions are somewhat “generic” style mountains.  The other tsuba emphasizes the three peaks (Dewa Sanzan) but yours has five peaks.  While a realistic depiction of Dewa Sanzan might show many peaks, most people think of it as the three holy peaks (so they expect to see that).   Therefore, I don’t think that the mountain peaks on your tsuba would be Dewa Sanzan).  In the wood block below, Dewa Sanzan may have many peaks, but the wood block also has a “Dewa Sanzan” title right on the print so the artist can do a more realistic portrayal and know that the viewer won’t be confused.  Your tsuba also emphasizes tall waterfalls and that are usually a feature of Horai tsuba (circled in black).  Dewa Sanzan does have a few small waterfalls (that are still used for Zen Monk training); however, the small waterfalls are not a well know feature of Dewa Sanzan, so they probably wouldn’t be included if it were supposed to be Dewa Sanzan instead of Mount Horai.

 

As an aside, Mount Hōrai/Penglai is also associated with cranes, peaches, certain immortal sennin, a jeweled branch and other items.  Therefore, on original koshirae with Horai tsuba you will often find these other items on the fuchigashira, menuki, kozuka, etc.  Unfortunately many collectors do not know the connection and assume that the set is not matched and end up breaking them apart (a real shame…)

[Tanto54]

Here are the woodblocks related to the post above:

 

 

[b.hennick]

As I read this I thought George must have written this. Before looking at the photos I scrolled up and confirmed my guess. George, you do a wonderful job. The breadth and depth of your knowledge are so impressive. Your contributions here and in other places are greatly appreciated. 

[rematron]

Dear George,

 

Thank you so much!  That is such a great and logical explanation.  The temple shape was right there staring at me in the face.  And it makes sense with the size of the canvas that only three mountains and no more would be depicted if that’s what the artist was trying to get across.  I will refrain from repeating all of your insightful observations.  Just, thank you so much for coming in and clarifying this for me and anyone else who encounters this motif.  
 

Do you think that the cave in the ura side represents the mystery of the location of Mount Penglai/Horai?

 

My best,

Jeremy

[Tanto54]

Thank you Barry - you are always so kind!

 

You are welcome Jeremy, I think that the back of your tsuba probably represents the many "fairy caves" of Mount Horai.  I don't know much more about them, but here's a painting of Mount Horai that shows some of the caves (and they look like the one on your tsuba to me).

 

 

[Bugyotsuji]

The occasional link between classical paintings and tsuba themes is persuasive. I have a tsuba showing an ume tree, a lamp, and a nyoi-bo, which I think must relate to some illustration by Tani Buncho, but what, I sometimes wonder idly? 

 

Anyway, well done Jeremy on your unrelenting and detailed quest, and the amazing reply network above! 

[Steves87]

In light of the post from George, I believe this below Tsuba is of the same theme (although not Choshu). Apart from the structure which appears to have the similar Chinese architecture, this guard also has the similar poled structure which in this case, seems to be flying banners.

This guard is from the Gary Murtha collection, there are a few more photos of it within his books.

Edited June 22, 2023 by Steves87
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[Tanto54]

Dear Stephen K, I believe that you are correct.  Part of the mythology of Mount Horai (Penglai) is that the famous Eight Immortals meet with the Wizard Anqi Sheng for a banquet there.  On your tsuba, I see 9 figures - who are probably intended to be those individuals.

[Bugyotsuji]

What bothered me about the 'sail/shade' was that any small breeze would tend to move the boat quite rapidly, and a strong gust would surely upset the pieces on their Go board as they were blown off course. No-one obviously in control. One at least of Jeremy's pics, and Vitaly's long scroll show a boatman behind the shade, able to take control with the rudder.

 

Luckily it is now evident that this is mythology, so wind would never be a problem at Mt Horai! 

 

By the same token, though, Stephen K's Murtha collection tsuba above shows the nabiki/nobori banner waving in the wind!