term

[John A Stuart]

Lately I have run across a term, courtesy of Ted, for the sleeve or insert for a saya called a 'irekozaya'. Until now I hadn't seen one except in Gunto. As far as I can figure it means ' small insert (for) scabbard' and I would write it thus '入小鞘'. Is this correct? Thank you, John

[Guido]

John, it's 入子鞘.

[John A Stuart]

Ah, thank you again, Guido. I think that's it for a bit.

[IanB]

John, These were not uncommon during the Edo period. The idea was that you had your saya made with a liner so that when it was time to have the blade polished, the liner could be pulled out and a new clean one fitted, thus saving the cost of an expensive new lacquered saya. I've seen quite a few over the years, sometimes only revealed when the kojiri has been lost.

Ian Bottomley

[John A Stuart]

Hi Ian, Until now I had believed that saya were solid construction only. I haven't had occasion to dismantle any except shirasaya for cleaning. I like the idea though. I wonder if I have others of that type of construction. Ted explained to me that they were expensive and found with above average tosougu and/or sword. You wouldn't know unless removing the kojiri or koiguchi, that's for sure, like you said. John

[Jacques]

Hi,

 

http://www.sayashi.com/project%20pages/ireko_saya.htm

[Grey Doffin]

I have seen a tanto by Shikkake Norinaga that had a lacquered saya with a shira saya inner saya that had saya-gaki. Most cool.

Grey

[Ted Tenold]

Hi John,

 

Every one of the irekozaya style I've seen was of very high quality mounting. One in particular I remember was a Shikakke Norinaga tanto. By far one of my most favorite tanto ever, not only because the blade was gorgeous, but the koshirae was constructed of a rare wood, with solid gold fittings. I found a picture of it on John Berta's site, who owned it subsequent to when I saw it. Scroll down about half the page. Note the gaki on the inserted sleeve.

 

http://www3.telus.net/sword/sword/index ... 0items.htm

 

I think this may be the one Grey is also referring to.

 

I was at the San Francisco show several years ago admiring a daito with saya that had stunning lacquer work. Very fine powders of cinnabar, mother of pearl, gold, silver, in formations of clouds. The sword was on the rack while I looked at the saya. It's become more or less a matter of habit that I check the koiguchi for the tell-tale mechanism that these have. It did, and I turn to my friend, who owned the sword at the time and said, "Very nice that this is an irekozaya". He turned to me and said; "Huh?" Until that point, he didn't even realize it had one. :lol:

[John A Stuart]

I am curious if there is a sayagaki on the liner, but, am too afraid to remove it just to satisfy my curiosity. That's a fine tanto. John's site illustrating the shirasaya is good too. John

[Ted Tenold]

Yeah, if you do decide to, proceed with caution. The latch mechanisms are often made of horn and can break. Over the years the sleeve can also become very tight inside the saya. Gaki is pretty rare anyways.

[Jean]

Thanks to all, I have learned something today and will go to bed more educated/learned.