Design of Sukashi Tsuba?

[CurtisR]

Greetings all,

I've searched the board for info. on Sukashi Tsuba but can't figure out what the design in this one might be....a snail perhaps? Any thoughts would be helpful - I'm guessing it's very late Edo but have included some extra pics in case I'm wrong about that :? .

 

 

Many thanks,

 

Curt R.

[Toryu2020]

Look for ox-carts and Kyoto and imperial carriages or processions,

images of just what you are looking for should come up with links to historical and literary connections...

-t

[ububob]

Could it be a water wheel?

[Soshin]

Hi Curt R.,

 

Looking at the tsuba I would say that it is likely a partial wheel openwork design (han-kuruma sukashi zu 半車透かし図). This is a common design.

 

 

 

Yours truly,

David Stiles

[CurtisR]

I did some researching and agree David - I'm guessing it's a 'water wheel' design. Common, but I still enjoy it.

 

Thanks for the hint!

 

Regards,

 

Curt R.

[Henry Wilson]

Common, but I still enjoy it.

 

There is nothing wrong with a theme being common IMHO. If fact to have a common theme on a good tsuba is quite nice...

[CurtisR]

I like that point-of-view Henry. I think this one's decent, and now that I 'see' the water wheel, I enjoy it even more. Thanks to everyone for their help. also!!

 

Best,

 

Curt R.

[ububob]

...and the water wheel design is only common to some schools but not all.

[Derek]

Nice water wheel tsuba here.

 

http://www.nihonto.us/SHIPPO%20&%20GOLD%20ON%20SAHAKUDO.htm

 

 

-Derek

[Henry Wilson]

Even better one here:

 

http://tetsugendo.com/kodogu/T-128_Nobuie.html

[CurtisR]

Wow - beautiful! Thanks for posting it Henry - amazing to see the variations and the qualities.

 

Curt R.

[CurtisR]

I've also been doing a bit of reading on cloisonne work and there are some incredible examples. The water wheel motif is absolutely the same 'feel'. Thanks!

[IanB]

All, We are confusing two types of wheel here. The original tsuba depicts not a waterwheel, but a wheel from a bullock cart, possibly having been driven into a river to swell the wood and tighten the joints (shades of Constable's 'Haywain'). A Japanese waterwheel to provide motive power has jar or bucket shapes on the ends of the spokes as depicted in the example shown by Henry. A complete waterwheel was the kamon of the Doi family. Why the cart wheel is depicted as being distorted has me puzzled. Perhaps it is shown this way to represent its reflection in the flowing water, but you would have expected it to be inverted if that were the case. Since it was also used as a kamon, perhaps there is a more subtle meaning. Whatever the reason, it seems to be consistently shown in this way as on the example posted by Derek.

Ian Bottomley

[Henry Wilson]

You are indeed right Ian. I over looked the the difference in design. Thank you for pointing that out.

[CurtisR]

Thank you Ian - the design as you describe it; in a river letting the water tighten and soak the cart-wheel. I think it is designed or cut as it is to 'flow' (sorry for the bad pun :lol: ), The water-wheel design is very different - but those are still very pretty Tsuba --- as I'm learning these things I'm also learning to interpret what I see differently, which helps tremendously. I am constantly amazed by the knowledge here...wish I'd started learning years ago but here I am, and enjoying it very much.

 

Best to all,

 

Curt R.

[Andi B.]

Hello,

 

I use this thread as an opportunity to ask a similiar question:

 

I have a tsuba with a "comma" theme but what does it really show?

Together with the blossom it looks like a carrot...

PS: I found out it is a TOMOE but has it a special meaning together with the blossom?

 

 

 

...and a second one with stylised blossoms in a way I haven't seen before:

Do they represent some real existing flowers?

 

 

Thank you

&

[CurtisR]

As a novice I can't help much but I do know the first photo's 'flower' is a Cherry Blossom. Interested to see what the others have to say so I can learn as well.

 

Curt R.

[Nobody]

I think that the motif in the lower picture is not blossoms, but Yukiwa (雪輪 - snow circle).