What are unusual or rare subjects for menuki?

[nagamaki - Franco]

First attachement shows an example by Goto TEIJO. Sorry for the bad quality. It's the scan of an illustration from a catalogue..

 

Reinhard, are what appears to these eyes as menuki of chickens wearing peacock feathers, signed?, attributed?, authenticated?, as being genuine Teijo work? Just curious.

[Henry Wilson]

Reinhard, are what appears to these eyes as menuki of chickens wearing peacock feathers, signed?, attributed?, authenticated?, as being genuine Teijo work? Just curious.

 

Bet you a they are

 

Let's not get ugly considering what has just happened in Japan. I can still feel the after shocks...

[nagamaki - Franco]

Bet you a they are

 

Let's not get ugly considering what has just happened in Japan. I can still feel the after shocks...

 

yes, there are many more important things in life, no harm or misdirected criticism intended. A beer bet, sure ...

[kokyo jin]

Just some additional menuki images... related to previous posts...

 

Skull:

 

 

I think this one qualifies as a snake..

 

 

 

 

Yet, another snake...

 

 

 

An elephant....

[kokyo jin]

Another skull & bones spotted..

 

 

 

[kokyo jin]

Snakes

 

 

 

[kokyo jin]

Another snake

 

[kokyo jin]

Skull

 

[kokyo jin]

Peacocks...

 

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

Not to hijack this very interested thread but I'm puzzled by the meaning of putting together 3 zodiac signs as appears to be the snake horse and hare (is it an hare/rabbit ?).

Thanks in advance to anybody can tell me what this is referring to.

 

[reinhard]

Reinhard, are what appears to these eyes as menuki of chickens wearing peacock feathers, signed?, attributed?, authenticated?, as being genuine Teijo work? Just curious.

 

These menuki were shown during a special exhibition in Atsuta Jingu in 1994 together with some of the finest examples of Tosogu.

Like I said: The pics in the catalogue are not very good and cropping didn't do them a favour. Pic is just to illustrate there are peacock menuki. It was a common design especially in the Ishiguro school.

 

Here's the original comment:

 

reinhard

[kokyo jin]

(is it an hare/rabbit ?).

 

It looks like a dog or monkey to me.

[kokyo jin]

Peacock Kozuka...

 

 

[Toryu2020]

Well I can see the way to go here is to say something is rare and then watch as all the photos come out!

I confess I am not much of a kodogu guy but in all the years I have been looking at this stuff I do not recall seeing any peacocks. Ho-o birds yes but no peacocks, now I have seen a lifetimes worth.

 

I wonder Hilik or anyone else if there are photos of "Kakeya Rangaku" out there besides the set I posted earlier or that which may be found in the Futokoromono book?

-t

 

Labelled as Kakeya Rangaku -

Which I would translate as "wood-mallet rangaku" or wood-mallet and fence or a fence of wooden mallets? Not sure exactly but I like the idea of a pile of stakes and mallets as a barricade. A Rangaku btw is a type of castle defense, a barricade made by driving stakes into the bottom of a shallow moat and then tying a stout rope to them in a random pattern. Meant to trip up men and horses as they assault the castle walls.

 

While I appreciate Goto artistry, I have never much cared for their works mostly because of their subject choices. However when I saw this set I fell in love with it because of the unusual subject and the deep black of the shakudo. (sorry the photos do not do them justice)

 

I was only able to find one other depiction of this subject and it too was early Goto work. Hows this for rare?

[bmlusk1911]

It may be because I'm prejudiced towards the Shiba Inu, but I'm surprised the dogs I've seen represented in Menuki and Tsubas don't have the characteristic pointed ears and curled tails of the Shiba or Akita Inus...

[chuck]

Turtle in a Gift Box?

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/3653-Edo-Samurai-sw ... 4aa92ce544

 

Weird.

 

Can anyone explain why "Turtle in a Gift Box" is a menuki motif?

 

I'm really kinda curious about this one.

 

pax.

[Lorenzo]

It may refer to Urashima Tarō

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urashima_Tar%C5%8D

[kokyo jin]

 

I'm really kinda curious about this one.

 

pax.

 

It looks like Lorenzo is correct about the motif.

 

http://img01.ti-da.net/usr/bambi/P1000052.JPG

 

Japan issued a set of stamps on this tale:

http://thumbnail.image.rakuten.co.jp/@0_mall/timbre/cabinet/201102_007/751221.jpg?_ex=200x200&s=0&r=1

[chuck]

Thanks for the info!! I had heard the story before, but I didn't make the connection to the munuki.

 

 

 

Also of interest:

 

A kozuka showing rats pretending to be samurai:

 

https://www.aoi-art.com/auction/en/auct ... 1213703271

 

 

I would unquestionably buy this if I had the spare cash. Shame that I don't.

 

damn.

[kokyo jin]

So Cute!!

 

[kokyo jin]

What with pulling the tongue?

 

 

 

Looks like a torture from hell...

嘘をつくと閻魔さまに舌を抜かれる

[kokyo jin]

I wonder Hilik or anyone else if there are photos of "Kakeya Rangaku" out there besides the set I posted earlier or that which may be found in the Futokoromono book?

-t

 

Is this is what you are looking for...?!

 

 

 

or is it a water wheel?

[John A Stuart]

That is one of the tortures that can be found in the 18 levels of hell, tongue ripping, from Chinese 地狱 Diyu (Can.) Japanese 地獄 Jigoku. One of the not so bad tortures. John

[kokyo jin]

Found this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yama_%28Buddhism_and_Chinese_mythology%29

 

and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diyu

 

Thanks

[chuck]

I know it's a tsuba and not munuki, but could someone perhaps explain the "Mentally Unstable Man Taunting a Frog with a Gourd" motif?

 

http://www.japanesesword.de/?site=fitti ... b25s6pmg85

 

I'm just not comprehending it.

[John A Stuart]

Yasuchika at any rate. John

[nagamaki - Franco]

Greetings,

 

1) came across this image of a turtle menuki while sorting through some old files.