wheels in water

[Guido]

I'm trying to find information about Japanese wheels as a motif and its symbolic meaning. One is obviously the entire ox cart of old, the Goshoguruma 御所車 (picture #1).

 

The single wheel itself if used in Kamon and so on and then called Genjiguruma 源氏車 (pic #2).

 

Now to the motif that interests me most: the Namiguruma 波車 (sometimes written 浪車), a wheel - or wheels - in water / waves (pic #3). It seemed to have been a favorite motif of Yagyū-Tsuba (pic #4), although I always thought that this particular style represents waves in the foreground of a rising sun.

 

Anyhow, one (Japanese) source states that wooden wheels tend to get dry and shrink, and therefore are put in a river on a regular basis to moisten them. I personally would chose another method, but that's just me. But in other words: it's just a everyday life motif. However, another book said that the Namiguruma respresents the victory over Kublai Khan's invading fleet; no details, and I doubt that the Mongols / Koreans had a wheeled amphibean landing force, so it doesn't really make sense to me.

 

Any reliable information on its symbolic significance?

[Bazza]

Guido,

 

I was surprised to see your question - mainly because I thought you knew "everything"... Even more surprised that I might be able to contribute to this thread!!

 

For years I have known the theme as "Buddhist Wheels in Water" so I popped these keywords into google (no quotes) [ buddhist wheels water ] and got a stack of hits - lotsa reading there me hearties. Then I searched within those results with [ Japan ] with about 400,000 hits. I would hope there is a simpler answer to Guido's question, but I wonder if this would suffice as a start:

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The wheel is an emblem of Buddhism, a religion introduced to Japan from China in the 6th century. Chinese classics like the Lao Tzu mention that the revolving wheel was considered a direct symbol of the universe. Originating in India, the rinbō or hōrin (Sanskrit: dharmachakra), the Wheel of Buddhist Law, is adopted from the Middle Eastern chariot wheel and represents the completeness of Buddhist doctrine, while its eight spokes signify Buddhism's "eightfold path" to enlightenment. A rinbō appears in the exhibition on a kind of altar from a temple in Japan that similarly depicts crossed vajras, Buddhist emblems that are considered to represent the Wheel of Buddhist Law as well.

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( http://www.morikami.org/index.php?src=g ... y=Exhibits )

 

Of course, water is not mentioned here, but the above would seem a fruitful line of enquiry for more fruitful discoveries - perhaps someone already knows "The Answer", in this case most certainly not 42...

 

Regards,

Barry Thomas.

[sencho]

Bazza,

 

Nice that you put the Morikami link up there... this fabulous Japanese museum and garden is about 10 minutes from my Florida home and I visit on a regular basis when I am back there for the winter time. I went to the KURUMA exhibition when I was back last summer for a couple of weeks, and have the printed version of this related literature.

 

I have been talking with the curator there, and nihonto maybe on the horizon, one day, as they change exhibitions about every 3 or 4 months.

 

As far as Guido's question is concerned, no more to add, after you got the jump on me! so sorry for being a bit off topic Guid's, me old chum!

 

Cheers!

[Ford Hallam]

Hi all,

 

the motif of wagon wheels in running water is referred to as Katawaguruma.

This is a 12 cent lacquer box that has the motif described as such by the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs.

 

 

 

I also once came across the design described in a Japanese playing card as "wheels flowing towards Kyoto" The wagon wheel refers, I believe, to the Imperial family or specifically the Emperor.

[Nobody]

This anecdote might be the origin of Namiguruma.

 

Ikoma clan entered the war of Japanese invasions of Korea in the end of the 16th century. When they went across the sea, their banner was covered with sea water and their Kamon (full wheel) on the banner was half soaked in the sea. But they could perform a feat. After that time, they began to use half wheel as their Kamon.

 

家紋（波引車）の由来

朝鮮出兵に参陣した時、海を渡る時に陣幕が波をかぶり、当時使用していた家紋「丸車」が半分海水に浸かる。しかし、戦功を挙げたことから、以後、半円形の「波引車」を家紋に使用するようになったという（『讃羽綴遺録』）。

Ref. Ikoma clan (生駒氏)

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%94%9F% ... 2%E6%B0%8F

[reinhard]

Now to the motif that interests me most: the Namiguruma 波車 (sometimes written 浪車), a wheel - or wheels - in water / waves (pic #3). It seemed to have been a favorite motif of Yagyū-Tsuba (pic #4), although I always thought that this particular style represents waves in the foreground of a rising sun.

 

Guido,

NBTHK's paper is describing this Yagyu tsuba as "nami-guruma"-design. No rising sun nor any (cart)wheel are visible. It is just depicting a circle of waves. Nami-Kuruma is refering to waves in the first place.

 

reinhard

[Nobody]

Hi all,

 

the motif of wagon wheels in running water is referred to as Katawaguruma.

This is a 12 cent lacquer box that has the motif described as such by the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs.

 

[attachment=0]Katawaguruma-raden.jpg[/attachment]

As Ford says, the motif of the box is thought to be one possible theory which is described in Guido’s post.

A representative masterpiece of lacquerware from the Heian period (794-1185), this exquisite toiletry case (J. tebako) is a relatively small example with a lid that fits over the body of the box. The theme of its design of cart wheels in a stream reflects the Heian practice of soaking the wheels of ox carts in water to prevent them from drying out and cracking. A popular theme during the Heian period, this design can also be found on mirrors and the embellished paper used for decorated sutra scrolls.

Ref. http://www.emuseum.jp/cgi/pkihon.cgi?Sy ... SubID=s000

[Nobody]

Now to the motif that interests me most: the Namiguruma 波車 (sometimes written 浪車), a wheel - or wheels - in water / waves (pic #3). It seemed to have been a favorite motif of Yagyū-Tsuba (pic #4), although I always thought that this particular style represents waves in the foreground of a rising sun.

 

Guido,

NBTHK's paper is describing this Yagyu tsuba as "nami-guruma"-design. No setting sun nor (cart)wheels are visible. It is just depicting a circle of waves. Nami-Kuruma is refering to waves in the first place.

 

reinhard

I suspect that the motif (so called "nami-guruma"-design by NBTHK) is not Nami-guruma (波車 = wave and wheel) but Nami-wa (波輪 = wave circle).

 

Ref. http://www.harimaya.com/o_kamon1/zukan/nami_z.html

[reinhard]

Hello Moriyama-san,

 

I see your point. The paper says "nami kuruma sukashi tsuba", but your assumption sounds perfectly reasonable to me as well.

 

reinhard

[Ford Hallam]

I remember reading somewhere that the use of wheeled vehicles was reserved for the Imperial family and immediate courtiers. Apparently this was a measure to limit the damage to roads, especially in wet weather, caused by those huge, heavy wheels.

 

As such, I've always taken this particular motif ( katawakuruma) to be somehow referencing the Emperor or that institution in general. Could the many wheels represent many emperors/empresses and the river the flow of time? This could illustrate the continuity of the line etc. The motif was clearly favoured by the Early Imperial court so I'd suspect some sort of positive interpretation.

 

regards,

 

ford

[Guido]

Thanks for all the input, guys - some very interesting thoughts, and blanks filled!

 

I somehow only associated Katawaguruma 片輪車 with the Kaidan (ghost story) by the same name until Ford posted the pic of the famous lacquer box, but it seems that this is a more common term than Namiguruma for wheels in the water. I got a lot of hits on Google, especially links to sites that deal with Kimono patterns. The common consensus is indeed that it shows wooden cart-wheels put in a stream to moisten them, simply chosen for their visually pleasing composition. No hidden meaning, no da Vinci code, now I'm somewhat disappointed.

 

Some quotes:

車輪が水の流れにかくれて、半分見えなくなった状態を文様化したものです。平安の頃の王朝貴族が用いた牛車の車輪を乾燥から防ぐために、水に浸していたものを図案化したといわれます。車輪だけの場合も多いですが、草花を併用した雅やかなものも留袖などに多いです。

*****

御所車の木造の大きな車輪は、乾燥を防ぐために流水の中に浸しておかれた。この様子を文様にしたもの。流水文や青海波とともに描かれる。

*****

御所車の水に半分隠れた片輪車（かたわぐるま）と、逆巻く高い波は男波、または片男波ともいい、波にも低い波は女波など波にもいい、いろいろな表情があります。波と飛鶴、千鳥、舟、魚、錨、寒菊などと組み合わせ風景模様として使われたりします。浴衣から礼装用の留袖まで、帯にも広く使われています。

And Barry: don't be fooled by the appearance that I didn't know the answer from the beginning. *Yes*, I usally know everything, but I sometimes force myself to blank out knowledge as kind of a Zen exercise.

[Stephen]

had to do it

[Bazza]

And Barry: don't be fooled by the appearance that I didn't know the answer from the beginning. *Yes*, I usally know everything, but I sometimes force myself to blank out knowledge as kind of a Zen exercise.

Guido, I had my tongue firmly in my cheek, of course!! However, I do the same thing around my family, because whenever I come out with knowledge I get beaten up!! So I'm trying to maintain a Zen silence as a survival technique!!! That way I can continue to collect quietly...

Regards,

Barry Thomas.

[Guido]

had to do it

I know that urge only too well ...

[FBJ]

I'm trying to find information about Japanese wheels as a motif and its symbolic meaning.

 

Digging this thread up from the dead to add a little tidbit that my Japanese iaido teacher once told me about the cart/waterwheel.

 

You all might remember my first post here about an edo waterwheel tsuba that I purchased from eBay. Maybe not.

 

After I showed my teacher the tsuba (he was was raised in Osaka), he said that the local fire department used to use the waterwheel as a kamon/symbol. I wasn't able to verify this through other sources, but as wise as my teacher is, I have very little reason to doubt him.

 

Mike