Assistance with description of motif element

[Steve Waszak]

Appreciate help with translating the kanji used to describe/identify the motif element this tsuba features.  The description appears at the top of the vertical column of writing, specifically, it's the first two characters I need assistance with.  Many thanks.  

 

 

[Robert Mormile]

Namako

[Shugyosha]

Hi Steve,

Namako ni kuruma sukashi - sea cucumber and wheel.

[Steve Waszak]

Thanks, guys.  Appreciate it.  I don't know that this reading of the motif is correct (seems like quite a reach -- even the kuruma/wheel sukashi is dubious), but many thanks for the replies.  

[Bugyotsuji]

At the bottom it says 'single hitsu', which must have been added later. We can imagine the shape of the original  sea sponge cucumber a little (but not a lot) better without the cut-out.

 

It's almost as if there are three shells, barnacles (?) but why do they have holes in them? 

[Steve Waszak]

Most curious, yes.  I suppose the added hitsu must have been very slight, for the three elements that you refer to, Piers, are all pretty similar in size and shape, so it doesn't seem that adding the hitsu affected these much, if at all.  Most likely, the added hitsu merely intruded on the seppa-dai slightly.  

 

Here is another piece I am puzzling over as regards the motif elements.  The one on the left is similar to that in the tsuba above, but is missing the three extra elements.  In this piece, I am reminded of a carpenter's planer, such as that seen here:  https://www.jauce.com/auction/q1172873118

 

 

[Tim Evans]

On 2/16/2025 at 4:47 PM, Bugyotsuji said:

 

It's almost as if there are three shells, barnacles (?) but why do they have holes in them? 

On the first tsuba, I think the device on the left is a Kamon of three kiku blossoms. This is a kamon of the Kusunoki family. Kusunoki Masatora was an official in the Oda Nobunaga administration (Papinot page 335). Here is another example.

 

 

 

 

[Bugyotsuji]

Interesting idea, Tim.

Since the Kikusui story and subsequent mon involve both chrysanthemum and flowing water, I wonder if a (broken?) water wheel would support the convention equally by the suggestion of water? (Rusu moyo)

[Steve Waszak]

Great observation, Tim.  I had seen the elements as chrysanthemums, too, but had not linked it to Kusunoki.  Many thanks for that!    I do wonder how these kiku are fitted into the larger sukashi element, though.  What does the whole of this sukashi element -- kiku included -- mean?  And since we see the same element in your tsuba here, what are the semantics in association with the respective sukashi elements opposite this kiku sukashi form?  Good stuff, Tim.  Thanks again.  

 

Piers, thanks for your thoughts, too!  But IS that a broken water wheel?  I have my doubts.  The end elements of the "wheel" seem oddly truncated, if it's supposed to depict a broken wheen.  I'm reminded more of something like a segmented arthropod.