Design opinion

[Spartancrest]

  I have seen this design described as bundles of Noshi but an entry in the Ashmolean museum would seem to fit much better.

 Catalogue number.  EA1956.2138   Oval tsuba with  Shō (pan-pipes).   

 

 

I did notice in https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/files/file/106-kinai-tsuba/  by Malcom Cox has an example by Kinai.

 

 

https://www.metmuseu...ection/search/503052

 

The sectional "nodal rings" found on bamboo and some reeds show up clearly on the bundles. Also there is a 'mouth piece' at the base of the nakago-ana - seen clearly in the top image highlighted in gold left and right.

So which description fits the best? 

 

 

[Steves87]

Yes, I've had it described as sho-no-fue. I don't have an example as shown (as you know), but I do have this one with the sho depicted on the reverse side.

Edit: of note, the nobles cap is also depicted on guard too.

Edited March 24, 2024 by Steves87
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[Nobody]

FYI: 鉄地笙図金象嵌鐔 - 古好屋 (antiques-store.com)

 

[Spartancrest]

[FlorianB]

It’s definitely the above shown music instrument.

The misinterpretation may be caused by the adaption to the circle.

Noshi strips are arranged more freely like this:

 

(world.seiyudo.com/product/tu-010517/)

 

Best,
Florian

 

[kissakai]

Every day is a day of learning - thanks

 

[OceanoNox]

Noshi also makes little sense when considering the segmentation.

The only other thing that comes close to that design is the tied willow (musubi yanagi 結び柳) used in tea ceremony for the first session of the year (hatsugama 初釜):

[Spartancrest]

https://www.google.com/search?q=Shō&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:92c9d87e,vid:yUpr1F1dZt0,st:0

 

Very unusual instrument, it has a sound very like a cross between a harmonica and an accordion - at least in this YouTube clip.