Colo(u)rs of lacquered samekawa for tsuka hilt, historical, regional?

[Bugyotsuji]

Recently I came across a statement in a research paper that white samekawa on tsuka came into fashion with the Edo Period, but before that black lacquered samekawa was fashionable. This was a surprise to me.

 

Then completely independently and randomly a friend assured me that black samekawa is/was favo(u)red in the Satsuma, south Kyushu region.

 

So far ,on neither the English nor the Japanese net have I been able to back up either of these assertions, but I wondered if anyone here might know where I could get more insight? Is there a historical or geographical story out there?

Tonight I also plan to ask around at the monthly gathering of the local NBTHK society. Spread your nets!

 

(I did run across some photos of red samekawa, and even purple, but I am guessing these would only be more modern interpretations, such as those used in in Kimetsu no Yaiba Demon Slayer, etc.)

Thank you.

[Jussi Ekholm]

I believe the research paper is correct. I am away from my books and while I dont have that many on koshirae I think they have the same information that most pre-Edo koshirae will have black lacquered samekawa, on top of my head I remember that it was stated that it also offered extra protection against elements as it was lacquered.

 

There are few historical koshirae with red lacquered samekawa if I remember correctly. I can check the info from my books in few days time.

 

 

[Rivkin]

I would argue it was blackened in Muromachi, but a formal tachi same was at least often white. In continental tradition per images it is white.

[Bugyotsuji]

Apparently the natural colour is kind of beige, and that was used too.
They perfected whitening techniques in the Edo period?

[Bugyotsuji]

On 3/8/2025 at 6:56 PM, Rivkin said:

I would argue it was blackened in Muromachi, but a formal tachi same was at least often white. In continental tradition per images it is white.

If black indicated lacquering to protect against wet weather, then by the same logic, any white samekawa should surely indicate use of a clear lacquer?

[Rivkin]

2 hours ago, Bugyotsuji said:

If black indicated lacquering to protect against wet weather, then by the same logic, any white samekawa should surely indicate use of a clear lacquer?

 

Japanese tradition tends to attribute the reasoning to something utilitarian, I personally doubt it is often the case, compared to economics/material availability/fashion. Same is very hard and water resistant as is and it survives for many decades without any treatment. I feel that black lacquer was seen as relatively inexpensive methods to improve appearances; for example, the original statement regarding the need to have black lacquered kashira at court did not see it as modest, on the contrary it alluded that people use varied kashira with varied (i.e. natural color) appearance and that detracts from court's decorum.

Black lacquered fuchi, kashira and same would be a vast improvement in the time when shakudo fittings were something uncommon.

For white same I am not sure of technological process, but I assume it is either boiling or bleaching-like and I doubt any lacquer is involved. 

There are cultures in which same is polished down a bit to dull the structure of larger grains since holding same without ito can be rather unpleasant; this however is less of a concern in Japan since its same is naturally less "sticky-out".