Winter storm -
Blinks often with fear
The cat in the corner …
Isa
The question of why tsub is so much, as it turned out, worries many of our readers, so I would like to start the next material with an answer to it. And also - why are they all so different … It would seem that one sword is one tsuba, well, a couple of its varieties are enough! And logically, this is true, but it is not so in reality. First, there were a lot of swords themselves. Ordered, for example, children's swords and mounts to them, including a tsuba, with a "childish" storyline. Some samurai was proud of his skill and the fact that he was alien to effeminacy and ordered the appropriate tsuba, while someone, for example, a ronin, a samurai who “lost his master,” only had enough money for the simplest design sword (if he broke his own). But the arrogant samurai, favored by the daimyo or the shogun, needed a lot of swords, and he changed the mounts for them in accordance with the fashion or … his costume - official or domestic, to which, after all, he was also supposed to have swords. A samurai woman on the road (and the Japanese often traveled, because the country is small) could also have a sword, which means he also needed a tsuba and was not at all as "rough" and simple as that of men. There were tsubas for court swords and everyday tsubas. Over time, the wealthy townspeople were allowed to carry a small sword (wakizashi) as a privilege, and, not knowing how to use it, these people strove - "and this is what I have" - to demonstrate their wealth with the luxury of a tsub! That is, there was character and there was a mood, there was taste and there was complete bad taste, skill and craftsmanship, necessity and excess - and all this was reflected in the tsubah of Japanese swords, as if in a kind of mirror. "Be like everyone else, but still stand out a little" - this is the motto of the samurai, the customers of swords and accessories to them. And, by the way, the masters of tsubako also competed with each other, enticing clients: "I have better and cheaper, but mine is more expensive, but on the other hand … this is something unique!" Well, today we can only admire their skill *.
Tsuba of Ko-Tosho style, 16th century Materials: iron and copper. Length 8, 1 cm, width 7, 9 cm, thickness 0.3 cm. Weight: 82, 2 g.
As a result, all this led to the emergence in Japan not only of many different technologies for making tsuba, but also the emergence of different schools of tsubako masters. Moreover, more than sixty such schools are known, which received their names either by the surname of the master of their manufacturer, or at the place of manufacture, if several craftsmen worked there, whose technique was similar. Each such school had its own style and characteristic features of technology. At the same time, masters of different schools could work in the same style and vice versa - a master of one school could copy the styles of different schools and masters!
Tsuba "Dragonfly". Ko-Tosho style, 16th century Materials: iron and copper.
Diameter: 8.4 cm, thickness 0.3 cm. Weight: 127.6 g.
How did schools and styles come about? It's very simple. For example, in the Kamakura era (1185 - 1333), the Kamakura style developed, based on the borrowing of images and techniques from China. It was characterized by cut-through images of flowers, butterflies and geometric shapes, as well as ornaments and minimalist subjects, full of restraint and laconicism. Later, when at the end of the XVI century. the ruler of Japan Toyotomi Hideyoshi, having settled in the city of Fushimi, Yamashiro province, began to patronize the master gunsmiths, and his samurai en masse to order swords and frames for them from them, here the Fushimi style developed. Well, then the Tokugawa era came, and these masters dispersed throughout the country and laid the foundations for the emergence of new schools.
Tsuba "Mushrooms". Strange image, isn't it? But strange only for us. Among the Japanese, mushrooms symbolize longevity, that is, this is a good wish to the owner of the sword. Ko-Tosho style, 18th century Materials: iron and copper. Length 8, 9 cm, width 8, 4 cm, thickness 85 g.
The Shingen style arose, for example, after Takeda Shingen (1521 - 1573) fell in love with tsuba made of twisted wire, imitating a rope made of rice straw - shimenawa, an important symbol of purification and holiness in the Shinto religion. Naturally, all the samurai around him began to imitate him, as a result of which tsubas of this design immediately appeared in a multitude, giving rise to an independent style.
Shingen style tsuba, obverse, c. 1700 Material: iron, copper, brass. Length 7.9 cm, width 7.6 cm, thickness 0.5 cm. Weight: 99.2 g.
There was also a division of the masters into two groups according to the nature of their work: the first was called Iebori, the second - Matibori. Iebori worked, as a rule, for one daimyo, serving both himself and his samurai and received payment in rice koku, corresponding to the quality and quantity of their work. Matibori, or "street carvers", worked for money, completing individual orders.
The same tsuba reverse.
Different styles were also associated with those who made this or that tsuba - the master gunsmith, that is, the blacksmith, or the master - the armor maker. The former made tsuba, classified as Ko-Tosho, the latter, Ko-Katsushi. The difference between them is that the tsuba of Ko-Tosho were made by the same blacksmiths who forged the swords themselves. And the Ko-Katsushi tsubas were the work of "armors", that is, they were made complete with armor, which is why both of these styles and their technologies differed significantly.
Kyo-Sukashi style tsuba. XVI century Materials: iron and copper. Diameter: 7.9 cm, width 7.6 cm, thickness 0.5 cm. Weight: 71 g.
For a long time it was believed that master swordsmen themselves forged tsubas to their swords, and since this business was akin to jewelry and very different from blacksmithing, the appearance of these tsubas was simple and unpretentious. However, it is unlikely that the blacksmith wasted his precious time on forging more tsubas. He already had enough work. Most likely, they were made by his students, apprentices, whom the master entrusted with this secondary work, on which they could learn.
The English researcher Robert Hans has calculated that between 1300 and 1400, 150,000 swords were manufactured in Japan for export alone, not counting domestic consumption. That is, at least four tsubas were made in the country per day! There were at least 10 thousand masters who forged swords and tsubas, and some blacksmiths had to forge three blades a day, so he simply could not do without helpers! By the way, it is significant that none of the Ko-Tosho and Ko-Katsushi tsubas that have come down to us are signed. This clearly indicates that they were not made by the craftsmen themselves, but by their assistants, who did not have the right to sign their products.
And it is not surprising that the Ko-Tosho style tsuba are very simple. As a rule, this is a round plate with a cut-out image, for example - plum flowers, which in Japan bloom before sakura, when there is still snow on the ground, and thus symbolizes the resilience of the samurai spirit. But the quality of the iron of these tsubs is very high, which suggests that they were forged from the waste of metal that was used to make the blade.
Tsuba "Paulownia Flower". Ko-Katsushi style, as a thin bezel is clearly visible along the edge. XVIII century Materials: iron and copper. Length 6, 7 cm, width 6, 7 cm, thickness 0.5 cm. Weight: 116, 2 g.
The main difference between the Ko-Katsushi style was that the tsuba had a round or square rim. The rest of the tsuba of these styles are similar, although the cut pattern of the Ko-Katsushi tsuba occupies a large area. Tsuba of both styles are considered old, especially if they were made during the Kamakura era or the beginning of the Muromachi era. Then they were simply copied, including the masters of the Meiji era, who worked for the needs of foreigners. In any case, all these tsubas belonged to poor samurai who did not have the means to buy something better.
In the same period of time, namely in the Kamakura era and the Nambokucho and Muromachi eras that followed, the Kagamishi or Ko-Irogane style emerged and found its niche, which translates as "ancient soft metal". Tsubas of this style were made of a bronze leaf on which a floral ornament was reproduced. It is believed that such tsubas were made by the same craftsmen as the manufacturers of bronze mirrors. That is to say, in addition to the main trade.
When in the XV century. The city of Kyoto became the center of culture in Japan, and the best gunsmiths naturally moved there, which immediately affected the quality of their products, including tsuba. Another style of Ko-Sukashi arose, the fashion for which was introduced according to one point of view by the sixth shogun Ashikaga Yoshinori (1394-1441), and according to the other - the eighth shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa (1435-1490), an accurate proof of the superiority of both so far not found. At least the earliest known tsubas of this style date from 1500. Today these are the most expensive and valuable tsubas among collectors.
Tsuba "Paulownia flower" in the style of Kyo-Sukashi. XVIII century Materials: iron and copper. Diameter 7.6 cm, thickness 0.5 cm. Weight: 85 g.
These are also slotted tsubas, but they differ from all others in great grace. For some reason, or rather, it is not clear why, deep notches were made on them around the nakago-ana hole, and after the sekigane soft copper inserts were sealed, which, however, is a characteristic feature of this style. Its development was the Yu-Sukashi style, where metal was removed from the tsuba plane even more. The popularity of this style continued until 1876 and the complete ban on the wearing of swords!
Tsuba "Crane" of the Yu-Sukashi style. OK. XVII century. Materials: iron and copper. Length 8.6 cm, width 6.4 cm, thickness 0.5 cm. Weight: 68 g.
Tsuba "Heron" is another tsuba of the Yu-Sukashi style. (Museum of Oriental Arts (Museum Guimet), XVI arrondissement of Paris, France)
Kyoto became the birthplace and style of Daigoro. That was the name of the master who lived there around 1800 - 1820, whose name was Diamondziya Gorobey. Its elegant tsuba had intricate Kyo-Sukashi-style inside and was so good that it deserved its own name.
Typical Namdan style tsuba. "Junkuy against the demon." Obverse. XVIII century Length 7, 3 cm, width 7 cm, thickness 0, 6 cm. Weight: 116.2 g.
Namban style literally means "southern barbarian style". The fact is that Europeans came to Japan from the south, from the Philippine Islands, which is why they were called that. However, this does not mean that this style copied something European or was intended specifically for Europeans. It's just that "overseas motives" were used in it - Chinese, Korean, Indian, European. As a rule, tsuba in the Namdan style are distinguished by intricate carvings, made in such a way that the plot, started on one side, continues on the other, opposite.
The same tsuba is a reverse.
The Namdan style was actively promoted to the market by the master Mitsuhiro ih Hagami, who created a tsuba with a unique storyline called "One Hundred Monkeys." This style arose in the 17th century, and then spread widely in Japan in the 18th - 19th centuries.
This famous tsuba "One Hundred Monkeys". It is really very difficult to count them, since they are intertwined on both sides of it, but they say that there are really exactly a hundred of them, although there are a little more on one side than on the other! (Tokyo National Museum)
The slotted tsuba also belong to the Owari style (name of the province), which arose at the beginning of the Muromachi era (1334-1573) and existed until the Meiji restoration. A special feature is the preservation of traces of metal processing and deliberate rudeness. The unevenness of the tsunime surface is clearly visible. But all the cut lines, on the contrary, have very clear, and not overwhelmed edges.
Tsuba "Bow and Arrow" Owari style. The era of Muromachi. (Tokyo National Museum)
Tsuba with an abstract cut-out silhouette. Owari style. The era of Muromachi-Momoyama. (Tokyo National Museum)
The Ono style originated in the Momoyama and early Edo periods and became a development of the Owari style. On the edge of the tsuba, tekkotsu - or "iron bones" are clearly visible, that is, the texture of the metal appeared here due to the forging of iron of various qualities. The Japanese usually did not try to hide such traces. Well … they say, you see how I forged ?! But the Yagu style is similar to the Odo style in its technique, but it usually differs in the plot, the main theme of which is raging waves and ships.
Tsuba with sakura flowers. Saotome style. Edo era. (Tokyo National Museum)
Finally, the Saotome style differed from others in that the tsuba in this style had a melted shape, as if blurred from heat. Chrysanthemum was a typical depiction of both cut and engraved ornaments on Saotome tsubahs.
Well, this is an absolutely wonderful tachi sword with a gilded sheath. Chrysanthemums are depicted on both the handle and the scabbard. Tsuba is covered with the famous black varnish and, rather, it should also have images of chrysanthemums, moreover, made of gold, to match the overall design of the sword. Sword length 97.8 cm (Tokyo National Museum)
Accordingly, each style also had its own local branches and imitations, so the Japanese had something to think about when choosing a tsuba for their sword!
