oshigata and art photos?

[drjoe]

does anyone know of a source to purchase either high-quality oshigata or photographs of swords to be framed as art?

 

i found this source, but the owner does not appear to sell many prints of nihonto, and in any case i have not been able to reach him.

 

http://www.ronbingham.com/sword_photography.htm

[Brian]

I don't know if he sells them, but you might want to try here:

http://www.arco-iris.com/George/nihonto.htm

Some stunning pics there.

 

Brian

[Geraint]

Dear Joe,

 

Why not have a go at oshigata yourself? The necessary Japanese materials are available or failing that you can do what I have attempted which is to use very basic western materials. Some of the results|I have found pleasing enough to want to frame and there is no better way of studying a sword. The close scrutiny required to make anything like a fair attempt is much more detailed than most of us do when viewing blades normally. Give it a go!

[drjoe]

Dear Joe,

 

Why not have a go at oshigata yourself? The necessary Japanese materials are available or failing that you can do what I have attempted which is to use very basic western materials. Some of the results|I have found pleasing enough to want to frame and there is no better way of studying a sword. The close scrutiny required to make anything like a fair attempt is much more detailed than most of us do when viewing blades normally. Give it a go!

 

it did cross my mind. i have some sketching skills, but how does one precisely outline the borders of the blade?

[Grey Doffin]

Hi Joe,

I have someplace on my computer an article I wrote years ago for the JSS/US that explains how to make oshigata. It's text only, no illustrations, but you should get the idea. You, or anyone else who's interested, can email me and I'll send it out.

Making full length oshigata is a great way to see what's happening with a sword; it forces you to look close. Everyone should do this from time to time.

Grey

[runagmc]

Joe, there are 2 video links to youtube in this post showing the oshigata process...viewtopic.php?f=56&t=11623

[drjoe]

Hi Joe,

I have someplace on my computer an article I wrote years ago for the JSS/US that explains how to make oshigata. It's text only, no illustrations, but you should get the idea. You, or anyone else who's interested, can email me and I'll send it out.

Making full length oshigata is a great way to see what's happening with a sword; it forces you to look close. Everyone should do this from time to time.

Grey

 

i do recall reading this before, but it sounds daunting to attempt solo:

 

http://www.to-ken.com/articles/drawingoshigata.htm

[drjoe]

Joe, there are 2 video links to youtube in this post showing the oshigata process...viewtopic.php?f=56&t=11623

 

illuminating, but i'm curious about the rest of the blade. is a rubbing done for the outline and then the rest is freehand?

 

also, are oshigata always done stepwise using multiple small pieces of paper, or does the paper also come in sword length pieces?

[runagmc]

The edges are done by rubbing, and the quenching activity(hamon, utsuri, ect) is done freehand. Some are done in full scale on a single sheet of paper I think, but I'm sure it's alot more difficult that way.

[Toryu2020]

http://tinyurl.com/7ot7wpk

 

Joe et al -

Oshigata and high quality photos are one thing - if you really want to display your blades as art, this guy, Atarashi Yoshitaka is the man to see. He turns the greatest works in steel in to works of art in lacquer. His own father was a kantei-ka and he grew up with an appreciation for swords. The photos on the website hardly do the work justice - upon close examination it is very hard to tell that there are not made of metal. He can do custom backgrounds and even famous works of kodogu.

 

If I had the money I can think of a few blades I'd love to see hanging on my wall...

-t

[Ted Tenold]

Tom speaks the truth. This man *rocks* in lacquer. He attended the San Francisco Show a few years ago and brought a couple of his works. One was a fantastic tanto in lacquer. Some folks at the show had a hard time believing it wasn't a real sword. Even the patina on the nakago looked right. I'd love to own a copy of them myself. He also had a famous daito with him, a copy of aNagamitsu if I remember correctly and it even had utsuri. His work is....Wow!

[cabowen]

I have also seen this man's work and all I can say is even if you see it you will struggle to believe what you are seeing are not real swords....

[Brian]

So are these basically 3 dimensional display pieces, and if so..surely they aren't fabricated purely from lacquer?

What is the base material? Sounds amazing.

 

Brian

[cabowen]

So are these basically 3 dimensional display pieces, and if so..surely they aren't fabricated purely from lacquer?

What is the base material? Sounds amazing.

 

Brian

 

The ones I saw were not really three d, but almost- you could only see one side of the blade as it was mounted on a backing....I believe the base was wood with lacquer over it....It has been many years since I have seen these so I could be wrong...I do remember that for the price one could buy a nice real sword at the time....

[Ray Singer]

One of Atarashi's lacquer works sold at a recent Christie's auction.

 

http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_ ... ID=5253759

http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/Zoom ... 7/D5253759

 

[Clive Sinclaire]

also, are oshigata always done stepwise using multiple small pieces of paper, or does the paper also come in sword length pieces?

Joe, there are 2 video links to youtube in this post showing the oshigata process...http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/viewtopi ... 56&t=11623

 

Gentlemen

I was taught to draw oshigata by Masato Kikuchi who is a polisher in Ibaraki-ken. He was an excellent drawer of oshigata and managed to convey incredible detail in his work. I still draw many oshigata (see http://www.To-ken.com under Sword Register) and get great satisfaction when they come out good. I also believe that such close study of a blade's characteristics is probably the best way to learn about a particular sword.

It is not strictly true to say the outline of a blade is a "rubbing", more precisely I would call it a "tracing" of the blade as there is virtually no back and forth action as implied by the word "rubbing". Certainly rubbing is employed when horimono and nakago and especially the mei, are reproduced. With the mei a small circular motion is used.

I use sekoboku (spelling?)for this which is black pine wax and comes in a disk which often is broken into small angular pieces for such detailed work. The hamon with hataraki can only be drawn freehand and I use several hardnesses of pencil from H to 5B.

As for the size of the paper, I have not found any long enough to draw a full length katana oshigata but A3 size tissue paper is readily available and OK to use. I believe anyone can draw oshigata and all that you need is patience.

One of my most valued books is a limited print run entitled "Meihin Katanaezu Shusei" which is a huge book (boxed and measuring 21 x 13 inches). This contains oshigata by Tanobe Michihiro, who is a master of the art and if you can get your hands on it, you would be well advised so to do. I think there were only 600 printed, mine is No 149 a few years ago and I have seen the odd one for sale.

 

Finally, I have also seen the Nagamitsu in lacquer and it is truely amazing.

Regards

Clive Sinclaire

[cabowen]

Clive is referring to sekiboku and it is hard to get outside of Japan. The correct paper used for oshigata is difficult to find today in Japan. There is a type of paper available at traditional stationary stores made for calligraphy. It is usually available at the end of the year when people do a new year's calligraphy and is about 3 feet long so one can usually get all but the longest blades on one sheet. It is a bit thicker than normal paper preferred for oshigata but it does work as a reasonable substitute....

 

I couldn't agree more with Clive's comments regarding the value of making oshigata. There is no better way to truly study a blade in minutia....

[Jussi Ekholm]

I thought this old thread would be appropriate as this is about oshigata as art.

 

I quite recently got some amazing oshigata from forum member Kunitaro, then I got them professionally framed, and today my father helped me in mounting them to walls. The pics do not do justice to these, they are amazing when viewed in person.

 

Over my Japanese sword rack

 

 

Over my computer

 

 

Just wanted to share these, great study pieces and great art pieces at the same time.

[Brian]

Wow. Very effective and appropriate. Had a similar idea...but will have to wait for a few to come on the market at good prices again.

 

Brian

[takakage]

Hi,

 

Some sellers sold the oshigata with the blade (for example Aoi Art).It takes time to do one, and time is money.... I have framed some of them too and yes, it's nice on a wall.

[kunitaro]

They looks really nice in frame !

Thank you for sharing.

 

will have to wait for a few to come on the market at good prices again.

 

No, You should try to make it by yourself !

Also, it is one of the best way to train your eyes and studying a sword, because, you will have to draw all shapes and activities of Hamon.

 

Please try once !

No need to be proper way, just draw on normal paper.

your perspective (of looking at sword) will change immediately

[Ed Harbulak]

Part 4, page 204 of John Slough's book "An Oshigata Book of Modern Japanese Swordsmiths 1868 - 1945" provides a detailed description with photographs describing how to draw an oshigata. This should give the beginner a good introduction to drawing oshigata, especially since many people already have a copy of this book. Give it a try, it's a little difficult at first, but like most things, a little practice will take you a long way. Good luck.

Ed Harbulak