Clarification Request

[zanilu]

Dear All

 

In a NBTHK paper describing a Washida tsuba I have found the following term:

 

鋤下彫

 

that should read something like sukishita-bori or sughishita-bori and should be a sort of sunken carving.

 

Do you have a better description or examples of this technique?

 

Than you in advance for your help.

 

Regards

Luca

[SteveM]

Hello Luca

According to the site below it should be "sukisage-bori" (aka "sukidashi-bori").

A technique for making the main image stand out from the background, by cutting away at the surrounding surface until the main image is raised (i.e. appears more three-dimensional).

 

https://www.touken-world.jp/tips/14655/#:~:text=「鋤下げ彫り」（すき,に表現する方法です。

[zanilu]

Thak you Steve

 

I was trusting google for the translation of the kanji from the NBTHK paper!

A mistake it seems... 

 

Regards 

Luca

[davel]

@zanilu perplexity.ai is usually better for this.  It's not 100% waterproof but mostly pointing you into the right direction

 

 

[Steves87]

Interesting!

Just for comparison here is chatgpt

 

[zanilu]

Thank you both Dave and Steve

 

I am not using AI as much as I should! You can not teach new tricks to an old dog... Or at least it takes a while 

 

Regards

Luca

[Steves87]

Not to worry, usually these ai are not good for 'scholarly' information, but they are extremely useful for conversions (e.g. language, characters, mathmatical) and program instruction, like learning the more complex features of software programs (think Excel settings and formulas).

 

They can also be used for theme discovery (if you are cautious and properly describe the question). For example: "what is the theme of an edo period tsuba that depicts a rabbit, moon, and reeds in the context of Joly's Japanese mythology?" 

It may not be 100% accurate, but it will be close, and it will definitely contain clues for further research. Please experiment with it on information you know is correct, and you will very quickly see how much you can trust it for finding new leads.

 

Part of the answer to the exact question asked is:

 

1. Rabbit and the Moon: In Japanese folklore, the rabbit is often associated with the moon, where it is believed to reside, endlessly pounding mochi (rice cakes). This imagery stems from the legend of the Moon Rabbit, a tale deeply rooted in Buddhist and Chinese traditions, emphasizing themes of selflessness and the cyclical nature of life.

Edited December 24, 2024 by Steves87
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