Geese: ha-ha-ha!
- First I, first I will tell
About what I know!
Issa
So, our last material ended with the fact that the tsuba is part of the sword headset, and as such, it should fit and mate with the details of the sword frame, called kosirae by the Japanese. Well, today we will get acquainted with the tsuba device in more detail. Again, last time we learned that there were tsubas and without holes for a kogai and kogatana, but that some had holes for a lanyard. But what else was placed on the tsuba, as it was all called, will be told now. And besides, we will get acquainted with the many varieties of tsuba.
As already noted, tsuba is not a guard, but a hand rest. True, in the Japanese art of fencing, there was a tsubazeriai technique, which meant "pushing tsuba on each other." But this did not mean at all that the blows with the sword were inflicted precisely on the tsuba and were repelled by it. The traces of sword damage on tsubas are extremely rare! That is, its task is to prevent the hand of the owner of the sword from slipping onto the blade, that's all!
You couldn't just put the tsuba back in place. We needed two more parts, called seppa, which pressed close to the surface of the tsuba. One on the side of the blade, the other on the side of the handle. The habaki locking sleeve also kept the tsuba on the blade, but it did not directly touch the tsuba, so we will not talk about it now.
Since the sepp plates were usually not visible, they were not decorated. Except for those cases when tati swords had not two such parts, but four. Two details of o-seppa ("big seppa") were added and then, to one degree or another, all these five details could be decorated!
In the photo below, you just see one such tsuba. But there were comparatively few such tsubas.
In the center is actually the tsuba. Sepp washers are shown along the edges in the front and inverted position, with which the tsuba should be fixed on the blade. As you can see, there are two of them - two small sepps (shown from the obverse and reverse!) And two o-sepps - large (obverse only). The presence of o-seppa was a characteristic feature of tachi-type swords. (Tokyo National Museum)
And now we are looking at the following diagram, which shows how the classical, if I may say so, tsuba with all the elements found on it is arranged:
• The first - mimi - the edge of the tsuba. It could have different shapes, but more on that later.
• Seppadai - literally "a place for seppa". That is, this is an even protrusion, exactly corresponding to the dimensions of these two washers, which were superimposed here on the tsuba, both from the obverse and from the reverse. Usually it is on it that the signature of the tsuba master is located.
• Kogai-hitsu-ana - a hole for a kogai, usually having the characteristic shape of a four-petalled flower cut in half. It may or may not have been.
• Nakago-ana - blade hole. It had to be necessary, otherwise what kind of tsuba it is.
• Udenuki-ana - two lanyard holes. They were not always made, and even very rarely.
• Sekigane are inserts made of soft metal, with the help of which the dimensions of the hole for the blade on the tsuba were adjusted to the specific sword, and it would be firmly put on the blade. Usually they are found on iron guards and this speaks of their antiquity. They were minted after the tsuba was put on the blade, thanks to which it held on to it very firmly, but could be removed.
• Kozuka-hitsu-ana - a hole for the kozuki, the handle of the ko-gatan's knife, which had the shape of the "half of the moon". It was also not found on all tsubas. Both of these holes kogai-hitsu-ana and kozuka-hitsu-ana had one common name ryo-hitsu.
• Hira - the surface of the tsuba between the rim of the mimi and the seppadai area.
Let's pay attention to such an important "little thing" as wearing a Japanese sword. Tati, as we know, was worn on the left on the belt, with the blade down. This means that his tsuba could be viewed mainly from the front, from the side of the handle, and it was this side that was on the main tsuba. At the same time, her left side was visible better than the right one, adjacent to the body.
Accordingly, the katana style sword had the opposite. The blade looked up, but again the left side of the blade was more important than the right. And this should be remembered when we lay out the tsuba on the viewing table. Both tachi and katana will have the dominant side on the left. But at the same time, the nakago-ana hole should look up with its pointed part at the katana, and down, respectively, at the tatei. Therefore, it is very important to know which sword you are looking at tsubu from. With daggers, the situation is simpler, since they were all thrust into the belt with the blade up. And the "clue" here is not only the image itself, but also the position of the holes (if any) for kogai and kozuki.
The edge of the tsuba could be (from left to right): square - kaku (first two at the top), round - maru (last at the top), with a ring-shaped rim of another metal (three lower options) and dote - with a thickening from the seppadai to the edge (absent).
Tsuba forms: 1 - aoi-gata, 2 - aori-gata, 3- kaku-gata, 4 - nade-kaku-gata, 5 - kikka-gata, 6 - maru-gata, 7 - tachi-tsuba, 8 - tachi -tsuba, 9 - tate-maru-gata, 10 - mokko-gata, 11 -jiji-mokko-gata, 12 - toran-gata.
As can be clearly seen in the diagram, the shape of a tsuba could be any, there could be a complete lack of shape as such! The earliest, most ancient tsubs (12) had one shape, very often the tsubas had the form of a circle or oval, there were rhombic and square tsubas, in the shape of a rectangle, the so-called "four-petal" in various variations. And why this is so - it is understandable …
The fact is that in the Middle Ages, the life of people, especially in the East, was strictly regulated. But even without regulation, it was required to live "like everyone else." And people tried to live "like everyone else." Why? Because people are herd animals. And the opinion of others, "a feeling of fellowship", "belonging", "belonging to a group", "like-mindedness" is very important for them. We know exactly how many such people are in society - 80%. The remaining 20% can “shove” against society, but even they try not to anger the majority over trifles and despise it “on the sly”.
Remember, neither medieval knights nor samurai in Japan had two identical armor, unless, of course, you count the same "borrowed armor" ashigaru. But they are not nobles! The armor of the same Europeans differed in the shape of espowlers, knee pads, helmets, "defenders" of the armpits, plate gloves … Even swords with different handles and shields with different emblems were relied on to essentially identical haubergs. It is not for nothing that two equally equipped effigies do not really exist among those that have come down to us, although there are dozens of them in the same poses. The same goes for samurai armor.
That is, any nobility, even "poor", even rich, constantly strived … "to be like everyone else", to follow the general fashion, of course, but at the same time to emphasize their originality, making small … "steps aside." Is it supposed to have a tsuba? Here it is, but all my neighbors have tsuba made using the nunome-zogan technique, and I will order myself using the sukashi technique - and let them envy! Everyone has banal maru-gata, and I will order it in the shape of … a grinning skull - everyone will be surprised! “I live in Edo and all my friends are crazy about Master Yoshioka's tsuba! It’s not a pity for them to pay 100 koku of rice for his work … Well, in spite of them I’ll go to the North, to the province of Deva and order Shonai-style sword mounts from the masters of Funada or Katsurano!” This is how or something like that the samurai then reasoned and … the number of tsubs multiplied in this way continuously.
Well, now let's look at tsubas of different shapes, which were discussed above. And let's not just see, but get to know each of them a little. And to begin with, let us recall once again that the tsuba itself, and the futi, and the kasira had to be made out in the same style. But this rule was not always observed. Tsuba "Hares". It would be easy to decorate both the futi and the kasir in the same style. (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)
And here is a completely unique tsuba. Unique in that it is … made of stone, that is, I ordered it for myself by the b-o-l-w-th original. Jadeite and copper were used for its manufacture. Production time: 1800-1805 Diameter 6, 4 cm; thickness 0.6 cm; weight 53, 9 g (Metropolitan Museum, New York)
Well, one cannot talk about this tsuba (obverse) without looking ahead, since we will have to talk not only (and not so much!) About the form, but about the technology of its manufacture, and the story about the technologies is still ahead of us. But all the same - let it be first the form, and only then we will look at the content. So in all respects this is a typical tsubam maru-gata. True, without seppadai. This detail is not on it. But look at the unusual design of its perimeter. What is it? And this is a kind of metal weaving technique - mukade-zogan or centipede style. Its essence lies in the fact that one wire repeats the outlines of the tsuba, and it is held in place by many staples, also made of wire! Moreover, iron and copper brackets alternate. Only one technique and no art! But … original and beautiful, isn't it? Production time: late XIX - early XX centuries. Material: iron, copper, bronze. Diameter 8, 1 cm; thickness 0.8 cm; weight 141.7 g (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)
The same tsuba is a reverse.
Here is the tsuba mokko gata. The work of the Mito school or one of its branches. Production time: XVIII century Material: alloy of gold with copper - shakudo, gold, copper. Pay attention to the surface finish of the tsuba. It is made in the form of the smallest protuberances in the nanako style - "fish caviar", which required great skill. Well, carving and gold inlay are also present here. Length 7, 3 cm; width 7 cm; thickness 0.5 cm; weight 133, 2 g (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)
The same tsuba is a reverse.
Tsuba kaku-gata with slits. Made around 1650 Material: iron, silver, gold, copper. Length and width 5, 6 cm; thickness 0.5 cm; weight 76, 5 g.
Some tsubas are truly weird. On this seppadai it enters the holes, but the dragonfly on the right also enters it and, therefore, the seppa washers should not only have corresponding holes, but also … a "notch" under the head and wings of the dragonfly! Well, the very shape of the tsuba … is more than unusual and why it is so unclear. Production time: 1615-1868 Material: iron, gold, shakudo, copper. Length 8, 3 cm; width 7.6 cm; thickness 0, 6 cm; weight 130, 4 g (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)
"Tsuba with boxes of physalis." Simple blacksmithing, but how exquisite. The customer, apparently, was a great original. It is interesting to look at the details of the rim of such a sword: what's on them? Made at the end of the 16th - beginning of the 17th century. Materials: iron, copper. Length 7, 3 cm; width 7 cm; thickness 0.5 cm; weight 65, 2 g (Metropolitan Museum, New York)
Perhaps the most laconic and beautiful cut tsuba of the Kamiyoshi school style - "Crab", XIX century. (Tokyo National Museum)
Rice. A. Shepsa.
