Edo period Wakizashi fittings - identification help

[grapppa]

Hello all,  I recently purchased a wakizashi that has this tsuka and fittings.  Can anyone identify the motifs?  The fuchi is not signed.  Thank you for your time.

 

The ito is very prominent (proud?) of the tsuka.

[grapppa]

More details... Could this be

 

Shikunshi

四君子

the four nobles, plum, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum

 

my uneducated guess - but apparently not after further research

 

 

 

[grapppa]

more...are these the 3 deities

[grapppa]

menuki...these have me really stumped

[thutson]

Hi Paul,

 

The fuchi depict the Seven Sages of Bamboo Grove, which is a fairly popular theme: 

https://en.wikipedia..._of_the_Bamboo_Grove

 

The menuki are more difficult to make out, but seem to show dragons chasing a pearl in the waves.

 

Hope that helps.

Tom

[grapppa]

4 figures on the fuchi and 3 on the kashira makes 7 ??

[thutson]

Exactly... the fuchi and kashira are matching with 7 sages in total and you can see they are all in a bamboo grove.

 

Best,

Tom

[Matsunoki]

7 hours ago, grapppa said:

The ito is very prominent (proud?) of the tsuka.

There are many styles of hilt wrapping, also many different materials and “grades”. Yours just happens to be a very robust wrap using a heavy quality ito. Often small triangular shaped pieces of packing are used under the ito to further enhance the “gripability”. Yours possibly has those as well. Perfectly normal. 

[Spartancrest]

  What sort of tsuba does the Wakizashi have?

[grapppa]

Unfortunately not as ornate and thematically suitable as yours!