What are unusual or rare subjects for menuki?

[Bugyotsuji]

A wonderul whale scene! To those who say that Japan never in fact whaled, here is a little piece of historical proof, even if not so old.

 

What is an unusual theme for Menuki? Almost every Menuki I see seems to have some originality. Wishing I had taken shots of the more unusual now... grrrr... although I do remember a beautifully-worked set of long (4 cm?) Vajra symbols on a lovely Mihara Kai sword.

 

Posted somewhere on this site, but one tanto I have shows a rabbit seated upright on one side and the full moon on the other. Surely a little unusual?

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

Of course as Volvo has proven there are no moose in Japan.

 

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[kokyo jin]

Personally, I think the aspect of westernization combined with Japanese ancient themes, is much more scarce then any of the fauna or flora mentioned above.

 

Though I never saw this on Menuki or Tsuba, I was able to get my hand on a Kanemono (Tobacco pouch clasp),

showing what I believe to be Raijin beating a drum (symbolizing thunder), and Fujin balance walking (fans symbolizing wind) on Telegraph wires.

 

Surly, not a common topic for old days Japan.

 

I got it several years ago...

 

 

 

and recently found a better specimen of the same.

 

 

 

If anyone has images of similar items - I would defiantly like to see them.

 

Hilik

[dirk marshall]

Man riding turtle plus ninja frogs

[dirk marshall]

Duck crossbred with either a snake or dragon

[dirk marshall]

Fuchi belonging to the assasin group known as the fraternity of weavers

[Guido]

Fuchi belonging to the assasin group known as the fraternity of weavers

[Tcat]

Fuchi belonging to the assasin group known as the fraternity of weavers

Lol!

The duck-snagon is my fave though.

[kokyo jin]

Any with Western influence designs?

[Toryu2020]

The Fujin and Raijin have to be pretty rare I agree,

The telegraph clearly puts these into Meiji when there was in fact a backlash against westernization and lots of rumor and suspicion surrounding such magical objects as the telegraph. Not sure those could really be called menuki but a very neat subject anyway.

 

fish turning into dragon = Toryu-mon

Man on turtle = Urashima Taro

ninja frogs? = Gomoku

all fairly common...

 

-t

[kokyo jin]

Can't seem to identify what this is...

 

[kokyo jin]

..no shunga here..

 

but you were looking for women a few pages ago.

 

[kokyo jin]

 

HOT STUFF

 

[kokyo jin]

another owl here

 

 

 

 

 

[kokyo jin]

Elephant?

 

[Lorenzo]

Can't seem to identify what this is...

 

 

 

HOT STUFF

 

Now that is really "cool"

[chuck]

 

HOT STUFF

 

[attachment=0]d73776298a.jpg[/attachment]

 

LOVE the hot pepper F/K!! I want this! Where did you find this?

 

peace.

[Birdman]

Kappa could work. Sort of an amphibious Bigfoot.

 

Ron, I read somewhere that the Celts had the same sort of superstition about owls.

Some Native American tribes, too, though I don't remember for certain which ones. Somewhere in the Southwest, is all I can remember.

[kokyo jin]

LOVE the hot pepper F/K!! I want this! Where did you find this?

peace.

 

 

As you like it so much, here is another photo for you:

 

 

I'm afraid I can't tell you much about it.

It was on auction back in 06/2007.

[reinhard]

and recently found a better specimen of the same

 

You are presenting the same obscure object twice.

(BTW, it was the background)

 

reinhard

[Birdman]

 

You are presenting the same obscure object twice.

(BTW, it was the background)

 

reinhard

Is it my imagination, or is that guy tight-rope walking on a telegraph wire? It certainly looks like it - you can even see the insulators at the ends of the pole cross-piece.

[kokyo jin]

 

You are presenting the same obscure object twice.

(BTW, it was the background)

 

reinhard

 

 

YES. I have two of them now.

[kokyo jin]

Is it my imagination, or is that guy tight-rope walking on a telegraph wire? It certainly looks like it - you can even see the insulators at the ends of the pole cross-piece.

 

It is exactly what I said:

Raijin beating a drum (symbolizing thunder), and Fujin balance walking (fans symbolizing wind) on Telegraph wires.

[kokyo jin]

Before we get too silly....

I like the early Japanese depictions of elephants, but I don't think they are often seen. The Japanese must have had limited exposure to them through.....?

 

Brian

 

Elephant kozuka:

 

[Birdman]

Just on the point of the cat in Japanese ancient legend as being bad luck or sinister, there may well be such stories, but the "nemuri neko" (dozing cat) on Tokugawa's tomb at Nikko seems to suggest other perceptions exist also...does anyone know it's legend?

I have only my personal experience to go on but I also note that the "good luck bringing cat" is everywhere in Japan and I recall being told that if one sees a cat sitting on the front step of a house, licking it's paw and washing it's ears, it is a sure sign of stability and contentment in that house....

I do get a feel of quiet contentment from those cat menuki, probably an individual perception...the opposite of a dog lover perhaps?

I do wonder why there are so few cat tosogu themes however...(or women!...now there's true contentment :lol: )

Regards, George.

Don't know how old it is, but as a kid I once read a Japanese tale called "The Boy Who Drew Cats". It was about a boy who enjoyed drawing cats, and IIRC, he wandered into an abandoned temple that was supposed to be haunted and deadly by night. He started drawing cats on the walls, to pass the time, then fell asleep in a cabinet. He woke up in the night to hear horrible noises, and in the morning when he dared to peek out of the cabinet, there was a gigantic, dead "goblin rat" on the floor, and his cat-drawings all had blood on their mouths...

[Jamie]

I bet this is a rare theme.

[Birdman]

I bet this is a rare theme.

Looks like something belonging to the soul reapers from Bleach...

[Mark]

skull and bones represent battle of Sekigahara not rare but are collectible so you do not see them available that often

[reinhard]

 

"You are presenting the same obscure object twice.

(BTW, it was the background)"

 

YES. I have two of them now.

 

You got me wrong. It looks as if you posted two different pics of one and the same object. This becomes obvious when comparing them to the background. The objects have the exact same size and are placed on the exact same spot on the tissue. In fact, so exactly in the same positiion it is beyond coincidence. Actually it looks as if the same pic was just edited in completely different ways.

 

It doesn't really matter much, for this thing is far from real Tosogu anyway. Maybe I'm wrong. I was just wondering. Could you show us the two objects in one shot, please?

 

reinhard

[John A Stuart]

Hi Reinhard, So suspicious!! I looked at the two pretty closely and I notice that although close there are some differences. The glass insulators, one is very horizontal and on the other angled, for example. Now, I know photos can look different by lighting and such, as the Warrior kokuin did in another thread, but, I think they are two similar, but, different pieces. Up to Hilik to prove the Thomas principle. John