sanjuro Posted March 11, 2012 Report Posted March 11, 2012 A question for the tosogu board: Has anyone seen menuki carved 'in the round'? That is to say on both back and front sides like a small sculpture? if so, what name are they known by and what time frame did they occupy in the tosogu time line? Quote
cabowen Posted March 11, 2012 Report Posted March 11, 2012 They are called unfinished...To complete, they are sliced in half to create the set. They are called wari-kiri menuki.... :lol: Quote
cabowen Posted March 11, 2012 Report Posted March 11, 2012 No, but it sounds good doesn't it??? :lol: Quote
Pete Klein Posted March 11, 2012 Report Posted March 11, 2012 Keith -- the only example I can think of would be from some early koshirae which had 'joji', rulers placed under the wrap. Pretty much just a bar of metal they did not show through and were more for grip, although some argue this. The problem with any full sculpture would be it's thickness and inability to be properly secured to the tsuka to prevent movement. Quote
IanB Posted March 12, 2012 Report Posted March 12, 2012 A few years ago I bought a rather nice tachi koshirae for the Royal Armouries collection from the sale of the Tokyo Sword Fittings Museum stuff. It was catalogued as a 19th century copy of a Muromachi mount, but I suspect it might be earlier. The hilt was done katatemaki in a variegated braid with the menuki completely covered and appearing as bumps on either side. From the shape of the bumps I thought I could deduce the menuki might be shaped like uma jirushi or similar, but an x-ray showed they were the fairly standard riding whip / helmet, sode / saihai pattern. Ian Bottomley Quote
sanjuro Posted March 12, 2012 Author Report Posted March 12, 2012 OK, for the sake of clarity I have posted pics of these menuki like objects below. first pic is face side, second pic reverse side. For all I know they may be chop stick rests but they sure look like menuki and are patinated like menuki. The larger of the two is 1 1/2 inches long. . Quote
kusunokimasahige Posted March 12, 2012 Report Posted March 12, 2012 There seems to be a difference in finish and work done on the front and back side Keith. So I can imagine that to the maker it was fairly obvious which side was meant to be shown. But it is very interesting to see an example of this kind of menuki KM Quote
John A Stuart Posted March 13, 2012 Report Posted March 13, 2012 I suspect these are something else pressed into service as menuki. John Quote
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