Adorable menuki

[RobertM]

Title says it all, very cute! Apparently pigeons are messengers of war and military power...new one on me.

 

Rob m

[Geraint]

Dear Robert.

 

Thank you for sharing these, they are indeed cute.  Doves/rock pigeons are associated with Hachiman, have a look here, https://www.discover...go/miyakehachimangu/  Hence also the much reproduced Hachiman Taro tsuba of the same form. https://www.eldreds.....-inscrib_7FA4F9FAE1

An interesting example which doesn't seem to cross cultures too easily, the pigeons in our garden can scarcely waddle, never mind fly.  The prospect of them having anything to do with a god of war is pretty hard to grasp.

 

All the best.

 

[Spartancrest]

On 10/15/2023 at 9:12 PM, Geraint said:

Hence also the much reproduced Hachiman Taro tsuba of the same form. https://www.eldreds.....-inscrib_7FA4F9FAE1

A "Daisho"  - the styles are very different so I would say "cobbled together daisho" [not to mention being signed by two different makers]   https://www.jauce.com/auction/d1108527403 

 

 

   A true Daisho with papers. https://aucview.aucf...om/yahoo/r125840850/  

 

Back on to the menuki - these are not as attractive IMO as the ones shown by Robert.  The double set look like they have heads like 'Kappa'

     

 https://www.trocader...sword-MENUKI-PIGEONS        https://www.trocader...sword-MENUKI-PIGEONS

 

 

  these are obviously very close to the two above and are from the same auction site as Robert's example.

 

   https://www.finarte....menuki-95711?lang=en

Edited October 17, 2023 by Spartancrest
extra information

[rematron]

This post got me thinking about how people perceived Hachiman and I tried to learn a little more about him. 
 

Both of there are excepts from Wikipedia articles. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hachiman

https://en.m.wikiped.../wiki/Tutelary_deity