Masahiro Elite Kenshin Katana Samurai Sword

Masahiro Elite Kenshin Katana Samurai Sword

All of the Masahiro Samurai Swords feature full tang, hand forged blades. Each Masahiro Sword uses medium or high carbon blades for a fully functional, battle ready Katana. Masahiro Swords has one of the largest selections of affordable yet functional authentic Samurai Swords on the market and are a great choice for the collector or practitioner.
We carry the full line of Masahiro Japanese swords.

Masahiro Elite Kenshin Katana Samurai Sword

The Masahiro Elite Kenshin Katana Features a razor sharp carbon steel blade with Bo-Hi a authentic rayskin wrapped handle. The tsuba depicts The Tsuba displays Uesugi Kenshin on his horse.. This battle ready sword includes Masahiro sword bag and stand.

Elite Kenshin Katana Features:

Hand forged, Carbon steel blade with Hi (Fully sharpened)
Black cotton ito and sageo
Tsuba displays Uesugi Kenshin on his horse
Black lacquered wood saya
Extra long, double pegged Tsuka with authentic white rayskin wrap
Comes with storage box

Elite Kenshin Katana Measurements:
Blade: 26 1/2"
Handle: 14 1/2"
Overall: 44"
Weight: 2.3 Lbs

Masahiro Elite Kenshin Katana with hand forged carbon steel blade comes with storage box, our only serve orders.

Your Price: (Sold Out)

Masahiro Elite Kenshin Samurai Katana Sword memiliki salah satu pilihan terbesar terjangkau namun fungsional Pedang Samurai asli di pasar dan merupakan pilihan yang cocok untuk kolektor atau praktisi.

Order contact email: katanaswordindonesia@gmail.com

His is a sharpened battle ready katana You must be 18 years or older to order this Japanese sword.

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Katana Sword Techniques

Katana Sword Techniques
By Beth Bartlett, eHow Contributor

The creation and use of the katana are centuries-old.

The katana is one of the most unique and revered swords in history. It is part of a craftsman's tradition that borders on religion. The unique way that the katana is made gives it amazing properties and leads to a very unique set of techniques for its use. To understand it fully you have to look back at the long history of its use.

The Katana's Beginning

During the later part of the Heian period when the Fujiwara ruled Japan, there was much progress in the manufacture of the sword. The previously primitive, straight untempered sword evolved into a multi-layered refined work of art with a gentle curve. This sword and its techniques were developed in life and death struggles for rule of various parts of the country. The core of the sword was flexible and tough, while the edge was more hard and brittle and made of two different grades of metal.

Use of the Curve

While the katana was used to stab occasionally, the main use was a long sweeping slash with both arms almost fully extended. This, along with the curve of the blade, meant that unlike the chop of an axe or a straight sword, every cut was a long sawing slash. This cut was normally used in a downward motion against the neck joint or shoulder of the foe. This was one of the possible weak spots on Japanese armor.

Unlike European fencing of the same era, the swords were mainly an offensive weapon. If you were to block edge against edge with a katana, you would be striking with the most brittle part and likely you would damage the blade. Some schools taught that there was no need to block as long as you focused on being faster than your opponent. They taught the swordsman to ignore the incoming attack or sidestep it and focus on his own attack to kill the enemy. Far more common was the use of the sides and back of the sword to swat away incoming attacks. A quick sideways twist of the wrist could slap an attack away and put you in a position to strike your opponent.

The Fast Draw

The modern art of Iaido came from the continual focus on speed. The idea was to be able to draw the sword and cut down the enemy in the same single motion. There were many ways to wear the sword in the belt to facilitate different draws of the blade. In Iaido the blade is often facing up so that the drawn sword is already on a path from the sky down onto the head or neck of the opponent. The left hand holds the sheath and the right hand draws the blade and cuts. In this way the left hand could turn the blade to also face either sideways or down before the draw. This made it possible to draw and cut in any direction.

souece: www.ehow.com

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Japanese Sword Polishing Kit

Almost all of the necessary items to polish Japanese sword are set in this kit, such as several polishing stones and items for finishing work.

How to use
The right order to use polishing stones and finishing tools.

1: 1) First, choose polishing stones according to your sword to grind and polish.
#1, Kongo-do >> #2, Binsui-do >> #3, Kaisei-do >> #4, Chunagura-do >> #5, Komanagura-do >> #6, Uchigumori-do
2: Split Hazuya into a small piece (the tip of the little finger size), and make it thinner by grinding it with #3, Kaisei-do and #6, Uchigumori-do.
After grinding your sword by #6,Uchigumori-do, polish the part of Ha with Hazuya by the finger (thumb) cushion.
3: Split Jizuya into a small piece (the tip of the little finger size), and make it thinner by grinding it with #3, Kaisei-do and #6, Uchigumori-do.
After grinding your sword by #6, Uchigumori-do, polish the part of Ji with Jizuya by the finger (thumb) cushion.
4: Wrap Kanahada up in Yoshinogami paper, then lacquer the filtered liquid from paper to the blade of your sword and polish it with cotton wool etc.
Kanahada should be stirred up fully before using.
5: To get Tojiru(liquid), make an oval Hazuya, the same size as 2) and 3), and grind it with #6, Uchigumori-do.
Then to make Ha shining and white and to make your Hamon clear, grind the part of Ha with Tojiru by the tip on the thumb.
This process is called Hadori.
6: Migaki-bo. This is used to polish Shinogi and Mune.
First knead a small quantity of Tsunoko with water, rub it on Shinogi and Mune to remove stains and wipe up the stains.
Then polish it with Migaki-bo after making a smooth slide by tapping with Ibota wrapped in a piece of close.
7: Place a piece of paper on Narume-dai on which put down a thinly finished rectangular Hazuya to grind Narume(kissaki).

Omotesuri -to make the surface smooth by small piece of stone:

Combination of polishing stones to make a face to face grinding.
Nagura >> Uchigumori-do
Binsui >> Komanagura-do and Chunagura-do
Omura >> Kaisei-do and Binsui-do

These are the same quality as the professionals use, so having this kit, you are able to enjoy polishing sword at home as if you are a specialist. It is more reasonable to buy this kit than to buy each item separately, so get this kit and be fully satisfied with your own beautiful sword.
The stone you receive might be different from the stone shown in the image.
Items may not be exactly the same as the one shown in the picture.

Contents of a set

Uchigumori-do or Suita-do, Koma-nagura-do, Chu-nagura-do	Narume-dai, Yoshino-gami, Kanahada-Nugui, Tsunoko, Ibota, Migaki-bo
Kaisei-do, Binsui-do, Kongo-do	Ha-zuya"Lacquered", Ji-zuya, Omotesuri "Nagura, Binsui, Omura"

Souerce : namikawa- ltd. co.jp

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The Samurai

THE SAMURAI
By Clive Sinclaire
The Way of the Samurai is Death - Yamamoto – Hagakure

From the end of the 12th century until the latter half of the 19th century, a military elite, the samurai, governed Japan. Their rule was a reflection of the spirit and codes that had been their own for centuries and which had been forged on various battlefields throughout the length and breadth of the country. This code became known as Bushido, the Way of the Warrior, and it is from one of the written treatise on Bushido (the Hagakure) that the above is a quote. Often misunderstood, this line means that a samurai should be prepared to die in the service of his lord at a moment’s notice. He should wake up every morning and believe he was already dead, thereby freeing his mind of any complications and inhibitions that might cause him to hesitate from dying in an appropriate and honorable manner. The manner of his going would enhance his reputation incalculably, bring honour to his family and would be recounted for generations to come. Bushido exists today, if in a somewhat toned down and modified form, in the corporate warriors of Japan’s big business and in the thousands that practice the Japanese martial arts such as kendo, iaido, judo and karate. Its routes go back over 1,000 years and are an integral part of the history of the country.

At the end of the 8th century, the capital of Japan was moved from Nara City to Kyoto. By this time, Buddhism and the Chinese way of writing had been largely absorbed from the continent. Great Buddhist monasteries with large estates and tax free privileges existed far and wide. These various religious sects were supported by armed and militant clerics known as sohei, who guarded their privileges jealously, even to the extent of employing their own swordsmiths to keep a ready supply of weapons at hand. It was not surprising; therefore, that the Imperial court moved to Kyoto to avoid this hotbed of Buddhist activity centered in Nara.

At about this time, a significant number of imperial offspring were rusticated to the countryside, away from the influence of the somewhat effete Imperial court in Kyoto. Here, often in a frontier environment, they attracted followers from more humble backgrounds. Mostly agricultural workers, these followers received a certain amount of protection from their “lords” and repaid this by bearing arms on their behalf, when called upon to do so. As these aristocrats were constantly feuding with their neighbors and fighting the aboriginal inhabitants of the islands, one can assume that their services were in constant demand. They became grouped into clans and known as “those who serve”, the embryonic samurai or bushi who would come to influence every aspect of life and art in old Japan.

By the middle of the 12th century, two main families had risen to prominence and they disputed power and influence over the court in Kyoto. Known as the Heike (or Taira) and the Genji (or Minamoto) it seemed that they would inevitably meet in armed conflict and throughout the middle of the 12th century a number of skirmishes took place. The Heike clan was fortunate enough to have greater influence over the emperor than their country cousins and succeeded in having the Genji declared rebels against the retired emperor Go-Shirikawa.

Left. Samurai armour. Leather with ornamental needlework, 2nd half of 19th C Christies, London. Right. Breastplate Samurai armour. Leather Edo period, mid 19th C. Christies, London.

Full scale war broke out in 1180 and heroes and villains populate the stories of what is generally known as the Gempei war (Gempei is a contraction of Genji and Heikei). The opposing samurai armies were dressed in magnificent and brightly laced armours called o-yoroi. They brandished swords of incredible quality and grace and were experts with the Japanese long bow, the preferred weapon of a gentleman of the time. Each side sought out worthy opponents of equal rank and social standing, calling their pedigree out to each other before the killing took place. Interestingly, both sides employed some of the militant monks, the sohei, impressed by their martial prowess, particularly with the naginata, a glaive like weapon.

Driven by great acts of bravery and a complete lack of regard for their own safety, the tales of the Gempei wars are known to all Japanese schoolchildren to this day. The great Genji general, Minamoto Yoshitsune and his faithful retainer, the giant monk Benkei, combine tales of brilliant military strategy and heroic deeds only to be concluded by a tragic death, all the ingredients of a classic Japanese drama. After a series of bitterly contested battles, the Genji virtually annihilated the entire Heike clan at the battle of Dan-no-ura in 1185.

Utamaro (1753-1806) Scene from the play Chushinuguru, early 18th C. Young samurai Rikiya with Kononami; the elderly samurai Honzo at the doorway.

Woodcut Christies, London

The leader of the Genji, Minamoto Yoritomo established the first government of the samurai, for the samurai. The cowed emperor in Kyoto was persuaded to confer the title of Seii-taii-Shogun (Barbarian Suppressing General), supposedly a temporary title, on Yoritomo, thereby acknowledging the reality of the situation. Yoritomo’s Shogunate was thereafter known as the Minamoto Shogunate or Bakufu (a word loosely meaning military camp). Yoritomo himself was considered as a good administrator and politician but was consumed with jealousy and suspicion to the extent that he had his younger brother Yoshitsune, the hero who had brought him many victories, hunted down and

Left. Samurai in armour. Woodcut, 19th C. FlorenceCourt, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland . Right. Ceremonial Samurai armour, Edo period (17th-18th C, Christies London

killed. Consequently it is Yoshitsune and his faithful retainer, the warrior monk Benkei, who reside in the samurai hall of fame whilst Yoritomo, is universally disliked.

The Minamoto shogunate established by Yoritomo was based in Kamakura, Sagami province, (near present day Tokyo) many miles from the imperial court in Kyoto. Thus it was able to promote and maintain a martial atmosphere, far from the corrupting influence of Kyoto’s aristocratic environment. Kamakura attracted many of the best swordmakers and armourers of the day and many swords from this time are still preserved and revered by sword connoisseurs today. Strangely, considering the rapid rise to power, the Minamoto shogunate was only to exert direct power for a mere three generations and allowed the Hojo family to fulfil all the necessary functions in the role of Regents, which they did with some efficiency. However, in late 1274 the country was faced with a threat from foreign invasion that had never before been experienced. The great Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan (who one legend claims to have been Yoshitsune who had escaped from Yoritomo!) planned to make the islands of Japan part of the great Mongol empire. To this end he sent a large fleet to invade Kyushu Island.

The Mongols made a number of fiercely contested landings in northern Kyushu and the samurai were taught hard lessons. The weapons, tactics and strategies of the Mongols was completely different to those employed by the Japanese and were it not for their intense bravery the samurai may well have lost the day. It was divine intervention, in the form of a ferocious typhoon that wrecked the Mongol fleet and wreaked havoc in their ranks that finally saved the Japanese. A second attempt a few years later met with a similar fate and Japan was again saved by the divine wind. The divine wind or Kamikaze was to become the inspiration for those 20th century samurai who were to sacrifice their lives in a vain attempt to again save the country in such places as Okinawa and Iwo Jima. On the positive side, the near defeat encouraged a re-assessment in sword making which gave birth to a new style known as Soshu-den (Sagami province tradition) led by arguably the greatest swordsmith of all time, Masamune.

The cost of the defense and the constant state of preparedness that followed the two abortive invasions, caused the Hojo government great financial stress and many samurai were upset at their treatment after the wars. Once again, discontent would ferment into rebellion and the current emperor Go-daigo was ready to recruit disaffected samurai in order to restore the country to direct imperial rule and to defeat the “usurpers” of his imperial prerogative. It was, therefore, in the 14th century that the greatest acts of samurai loyalty may be found. It was an unusual situation to find a powerful samurai such as Kusunoki Masashige declare for the emperor and many rallied to the imperial cause. Kusunoki was to gain eternal fame as, having so declared himself, the headstrong emperor, ignoring advice to the contrary, ordered him into a battle from which there was no chance of survival. Kusunoki knowing his fate obeyed the orders and, when defeat was inevitable, committed suicide in the time honored samurai way. However, the imperial forces had some success, even overthrowing the Hojo at Kamakura. This was greatly helped by a turncoat, one Ashikaga Takauji, who saw great advantages for his clan (who were of Minamoto stock) and deserted the Hojo and changed sides. Briefly Go-daigo was back on the throne, however, Ashikaga set up a rival court in the north. This strange situation, which lasted until 1392, lent its name to the period, the Namboku-cho or period of the north and south courts and it continued with much confused fighting throughout the land.

After taking advantage of every twist and turn of fate, in 1338, Ashikaga Takauji was proclaimed the first Ashikaga shogun and set his bakufu up in the Muromachi district of Kyoto. By the time the imperial squabbles were resolved in 1392, Ashikaga Yoshimtsu was the third Ashikaga shogun in what was to herald in the Muromachi period. Warfare had changed considerably by this time. Armour had become lighter, swords shorter and foot soldiers were far more commonplace. The bulk of these foot soldiers were from peasant stock and were known as ashiguru. By 1467, the first year of the Onin period, they found employment with several warring factions and managed to devastate the city of Kyoto. This was to mark the beginning of 100 years of civil wars, the Sengoku-jidai or the period of the country at war.

Local feudal lords or daimyo fought each other over land or wealth, mobilizing hundreds of thousands of men in the process. Fathers murdered sons, sons murdered both fathers

Samurai armour with pictorial decoration.
Late 16th – early 17th century
Leeds Museum and Art Galleries, England

and brothers. The lofty ideals of Bushido were observed more in their breach than in their enactment, in the quests for land, power and influence. It was a time when the lowly could overthrow the high and then be overthrown themselves. This was known as Gekoku-jō – the low oppress the high, when lowly peasants might rob and kill wounded and noble samurai, stealing their weapons and armour! There were few well organised clans capable of ruling, and even these had risen from a bloody and ruthless past. Clans such as the Takada and Uesugi are examples of this.

Again, battle tactics had changed with the heavy reliance on the ashiguru and there was a huge demand for weapons, especially swords and spears. Whenever there is such a great demand, quality is the first casualty and so it was. Most of the swords of the time are shadows of the earlier ones and were made with purely practical considerations, mainly in the provinces of Bizen and Mino. Massed spearmen and cavalry were the order of the day and war was carried out on the run. In tune with the mood of the day, armies saw no moral problems with changing sides in the middle of an action. Indeed if this were to preserve the name of the family or clan by bringing it out on the winning side, it was especially justified.

From all this confusion, there arose in the mid 16th century, in the province of Owari, a particularly ambitious and capable young man named Oda Nobunaga. Born in 1536 his ambition was to unify Japan under his rule rather than the weakened and by now, dissolute Ashikaga shogunate. He ruthlessly set about subduing his neighbours and all opposition. An innovative strategist he was the first to employ the use of massed firearms that had been introduced into the country in 1546. This he did with great effect at the battle of Nagashino where he destroyed the feared Takada clan’s cavalry. However, his unification plans met with an insurmountable problem when he was assassinated by one of his own generals, Akechi Mitsuhide. Akechi was hunted down by Nobunaga’s most talented and able general, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and put to the sword within eleven days, leaving Akechi with the derisory nickname of the “eleven day shogun”. It was the low born Hideyoshi who would take up the cause of unification.

Hideyoshi was a most capable military leader and politician as well as a great patron of the arts. He was based at Fushimi castle at Momoyama, a few miles south of Kyoto. Many of Japan’s incredible screens and paintings come from the so-called Azuchi-Momoyama period of Hideyoshi. He was particularly fond of the tea ceremony and he encouraged sophistication in the otherwise boorish samurai whilst maintaining a vicious and cruel streak in himself. His military exploits were profound and he managed even to bring the samurai of far away Kyushu Island under his control. His greatest, if somewhat reluctant ally was a daimyo from the Kanto area in the east, one Tokugawa Ieyasu. The end of the Momoyama period (late 16th century) was one of a relative peace that brought it’s own problems with so many redundant samurai (ronin) around. To overcome this problem, Hideyoshi packed a large number of them off to invade Korea. The invasion was hastily called off when Hideyoshi died suddenly (of natural causes!) it was the opportunity that Tokugawa Ieyasu had been waiting for.

Samurai swords, 15th – 16th century, Christies, London

Ieyasu was the third of the great unifiers of Japan as well as the most enduring. His tough Kanto samurai proceeded to eliminate those forces, predominantly from the West of Japan, that were still loyal to Hideyoshi’s heir. The decisive battle was to take place at Sekigahara in 1600 and Ieyasu was the outright winner, helped, of course, by defections on the other side. The remnants of the Western army were finally eliminated some thirteen years later at the siege of Osaka castle. The house of Tokugawa had succeeded in unifying the whole of Japan. Tokugawa Ieyasu, of Minamoto blood, was the first in a line of fifteen shoguns that was to oversee a Pax Tokugawa that would last for the next two hundred and fifty years. However, it was a peace at the price of a strict military dictatorship in which the samurai were at the top of the social ladder. Ieyasu made his capital at Edo in the east, a small swampy village that today is called Tokyo.

As the peace started many things were to change. Without the need to provide purely functional weapons, the swordsmiths were able to make swords that were of great artistic merit, which still remained efficient cutting weapons. This was to be seen especially in elaborate horimono or carvings on the blades as well as more richly decorated mounts. It was laid down by the Tokugawa shogunate that the samurai wear a pair of swords known as a daisho. This was the visible badge of rank that distinguished the samurai from all others and reminded him of his martial background. He would never be unarmed always having at least his short sword with him.

Samurai sword with dragon hilt and chased silver ornamentation, Christies, London

Towns grew up around the daimyo’s castles which became the centers of commerce and life in general. The Tokugawa made certain of their security by a series of laws that ensured their survival as shoguns. Marriage alliances and the allocation of fiefs to daimyo so that a Tokugawa supporting clan were adjacent to a less reliable one helped cement their hold (those that had been on the losing side at Sekigahara, mainly the clans of Satsuma, Choshu, Tosa and Hizen provinces known as the tozama or outer daimyo, still harbored grudges against the Tokugawa). All daimyo were compelled to make annual visits to Edo where many of their families were kept practically as hostages. Such constant movement kept them in financial straits thus few funds were available for rebellion. All aspects of life were controlled by the shogunate and it became illegal to leave the country or for any foreigners to enter it, on pain of death. The luckier samurai were retained by the daimyo but many were forced to join the ranks of the ronin and survive the best they could. Many of those retained became administrators and bureaucrats within the rigidly hierarchy of the clan system, but they were encouraged to practice the martial arts and be prepared for action at all times.

It was at this time that Bushido became, along with many other things, highly structured and was written down in books such as Hagakure. The ideals of the code, now no longer needed in battle had to be learned by these peacetime samurai. Yamamoto for instance, who wrote Hagakure, was a retainer of the proud Nabeshima clan of Hizen Province, and never saw battle. It was not until the middle of the 19th century that samurai found reason to unsheathe their swords in anger once again.

By this time the Tokugawa shogunate was under intense domestic pressure from crop failures and rioting peasants as well as external pressure from foreign incursions attempting to force trade treaties on the reluctant shogunate. It was the opportunity that the tozama daimyo had been awaiting for some two hundred and fifty years, to ferment revolt against the Tokugawa. They chose to support the fight to re-instate direct imperial rule and to expel the barbarians who had come uninvited to their shores. By 1868 they had succeeded in the former but the latter was impossible. The Emperor Mutsuhito (better known as Meiji) was reinstated to the throne and took over the last shogun’s castle in Edo with his new court. The commission of Shogun granted to Minamoto Yoritomo in 1185, had been finally handed back to the emperor almost seven hundred years later.

Conservative elements resisted the changes and the samurai of Satsuma province were in open revolt against the new government. A conscript army squashed the rebellion using modern firearms against “old fashioned” sword wielding samurai. Not for the last time was the Yamato Daimishi or Japanese spirit on which they relied, beaten by

Short samurai sword with cross guards, Edo period, 18th and 19th C.

Christies, London

superior technology and overwhelming numbers. The samurai class was disbanded and the wearing of the daisho prohibited as Japan rushed headlong into a program of modernisation and westernisation. This was largely encouraged and organised by the ex-samurai, inspired by their spirit of Bushido which was now directed towards nationalism, rather than loyalty to a feudal lord. By 1905 they had fought a war in China and beaten the Russian navy in an historic battle but they were treading the path towards military fascism, a corruption of Bushido. This road would lead to Pearl Harbour and finally to the mushroom clouds over Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Originally written for Art and Culture Magazine, Autumn 2003, both English language and Turkish. Editions. The original layout has been changed and updated to accommodate the website.

Please note that I neither sourced or provided the illustrations, nor did I write the captions
Clive Sinclaire
May 2008
Bexley, Kent

Source: www. to- ken.com

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Tameshigiri Cutting Test On Japanese Swords

http://www.sword-buyers-guide.com/images/228xNxObata-soke.jpg.pagespeed.ic.N3Kv5Gh1Gd.jpg

TAMESHI-GIRI – CUTTING TESTS ON JAPANESE SWORDS

The effectiveness or efficiency of their weapon is obviously of paramount importance to any soldier or warrior, whose life might depend on it. This is quite understandable and it was necessary for the owner of the weapon to have complete confidence in it.

So it was for the samurai, but for most of their history, certainly up to the latter part of the 16th century, constant warfare was enough to test most forms of weaponry. This included bladed varieties such as yari (spears) naginata (halberds) and swords. It was no problem to discard a broken or blunted instrument as new ones were constantly coming from the forges of swordsmiths, principally from the provinces of Bizen (present day Okayama prefecture) and Mino (present day Gifu prefecture). However, with the dawn of the great peace heralded by the victory of Tokugawa Ieyasu, at the definitive battle of Sekigahra in 1600, and the establishing of the Tokugawa shogunate, the everyday opportunity to use a sword was greatly reduced.

The execution ground with three heads displayed

Since the cessation of the sengoku jidai or the country at war, fundamental changes in swordmaking had occurred. Mostly, swords had previously been purely practical things and often shortcuts had been made in the production process and economies made in the materials used. Of course, there are swords of great antiquity which are unsurpassed in excellence but the vast majority were not of this standard, especially in the Muromachi period (1450-1580).Without the pressures of producing large quantities of blades to arm the hundreds of thousands under arms, swordsmiths could concentrate on making better and more artistic blades. Influenced by the prevailing Momoyama culture in Kyoto the Imperial capital, swordsmiths at the end of the 16th century began to make more decorative or artistically pleasing swords. The more picturesque hamon or hardened edge, as well as more ornate horimono or carvings with fewer religious subjects, were obvious manifestations of this. Now that raw materials were increasingly distributed from central sources, the metal or jigane, ceased to show the individual regional characteristics of earlier times and now demonstrated a uniformity not seen before. However, in the early 1600’s, whilst the living memory of real combat still existed, swords were shaped like shortened versions of the oversize blades of the 14th century, a time which might be referred to as a “golden age” of sword manufacture.

Woodblock print of an execution

As the Tokugawa shogunate became established in their capital, a small town in the east of the country named Edo (present day Tokyo) many swordsmiths flocked to this expanding location to take advantage of the prevailing martial atmosphere. At the same time, the Imperial capital of Kyoto attracted a good number swordsmiths whose families originated in the sword-making culture of Mino province. Meanwhile, close to Kyoto, the city of Osaka was becoming a thriving centre of commerce and here swordsmiths established themselves to supply the affluent merchant classes as well as the resident samurai. In addition to these three cities, some fortunate swordsmiths were directly retained by some of the great daimyo or feudal lords, positions both they and their ancestors often held for many generations.

The shogunate enforced the peace with an authority based on military strength and it would be no exaggeration to call this a “police state”. Many rules and regulations affected all aspects of life, and social classes were fixed absolutely with social mobility almost unheard of. At the top of this structure were the warrior class, the samurai, who formed about 10% of the total population. It was said to be rule by the samurai for the samurai. The wearing of the daisho or pair of swords was compulsory and defined the status of the samurai as a warrior.

As the peace progressed almost uninterrupted into the first half of the 17th century, the amount of samurai with actual battle experience was fewer and fewer but the samurai were expected to be constantly at a high level of readiness. Their very existence as a class supposedly depended on their ability in the martial arts, predominantly skill with swords. To some, this posed the problem of whether or not their sword was able to really be relied on in combat, in other words would it not bend or break and would it cut efficiently? At the same time a host of laws were enacted by the shogunate government, restricting the length of swords. In many cases it seems that this meant that existing swords needed to be shortened and this also worried some that their weapon was no longer effective.

To the concerned samurai, the testing of his sword was the obvious response and this seems to have been recognised by the government who appointed official testers. The execution grounds, especially in Edo, provided excellent facilities and also “raw materials” for tests that could be considered as useful. Especially in and around the Kanbun (1661-72) and Enpo (1673-80) periods, many swords were officially tested at these places. This may have been due to a raft of new sword legislation at that time that resulted in many sword alterations. It was also a reflection of the development of shinai- kendo. The shinai was a bamboo sword that was straight and swords made at that time, especially in Edo had very shallow curvature in an attempt to replicate the shinai. This is still known as the Kanbun-shinto sugata or “the new-sword shape of the Kanbun period”.

To a few who wished to test their swords, the illegal form of testing known as tsuji-giri or street-cutting was resorted to. In this instance the owner would lurk in some dark street corner with his sword and cut down the first innocent passer-by. Ironically, the most well authenticated case of tsuji-giri was performed on a famous Edo swordsmith named Hankei, some of whose swords themselves were inscribed with the results of cutting tests. Although a grim situation, such instances appear to have been so common that a number of amusing stories are told. For instance, a jujitsu instructor was walking in town when he saw a samurai on a street corner, suddenly draw his sword to cut him down. He acrobatically executed three somersaults and from a safe distance, put out his tongue at the samurai and went on his way.

In another, a lowly beggar sleeping on the roadside had been struck several times during the night, by samurai with worthless blunt swords in an attempt to test their swords on the beggar. On waking he grumbled: “There is no peaceful rest even for a worm such as myself, bad men have beaten me (not cut me!) during my sleep”. These tales also illustrate the arrogant contempt in which the samurai held the lower classes.

The main and official testers in Edo were the Yamada family who had the shogun’s patronage. A series of progressively difficult cuts were devised by them that were to be performed on a corpse, although there are recorded tests being made on live bodies! In fact, the black humour of this situation may be seen in an incident quoted in the appendix of Huncho Gunkiko. In an estate in Dewa Province a robber, who performed as a puppet showman during the day and a robber at night, although a powerfully built man was caught and condemned to death. The tester, named Shoami Dennosuke, was instructed to cut the robber in kesa-giri (from shoulder to hip). The robber was prepared in the stocks and apparently the following dialogue took place:

Robber: “Is it you that will cut me down?”
Shoami: “ Yes, you must be cut alive as you are sentenced”.
Robber: “In what way will you cut me?”
Shoami: “I shall cut you in the kesa style”
Robber: It is too cruel to be cut through alive”
Shoami: “It is the same before or after dearth”.
Robber: “If I had known it before, I would have swallowed a couple of big stones to spoil your sword”.

After execution, by beheading or occasionally by crucifixion, a body was released to the tester who was a skilled swordsman. It was decided in conjunction with the sword’s owner, which cut was to be used, and the body was arranged accordingly. If the sword to be tested was owned by the shogun then many official witnesses attended the test and strict formalities were observed but this does not seem to always be the case. The handling of the corpse was by members of the Eta or hinin, the outcasts or untouchable class, as in Buddhist lore, such work was considered “unclean”.

It seems that the most popular cut was that known as dō. This was a cut through the waist area and for a dō cut the body was arranged on an earth mound called the dodan. The limbs of the corpse were tied onto wooden stakes whilst the torso rested on the mound and the cuts were made. Often more than one body might be piled on top of each other and multiple dō could be cut in a single cutting action.

A body arranged on the dodan in preparation for a do cut

Another cut was the previously mentioned kesa-kiri which is still a favoured cut in modern tameshigiri as well as in Iai-do. In this cut, the blade enters in the shoulder at the base of the neck and exits the body at the hip, following the line of the collar of a Japanese robe, the Kesa. This is particularly difficult as there is considerable amount of body to cut through. For kesa-kiri a different position must be adopted and the corpse or target needs to be vertical rather than horizontal as with dō. Considered the hardest of all cuts was Ryo-guruma, a cut through the hips which, of course, are almost completely bone.

The sword blade itself was mounted in a strong wooden handle and it does not seem that the sword’s ordinary koshirae or mounting, was ever used when testing. This was probably because it was considered that there was a risk of damage and anyway, it was only the blade that was actually being tested. After the test was completed, the results were inscribed in detail onto the nakago or tang of the sword. This was often inlaid in gold and adds considerably to the value of the blade. Such inscriptions may often be seen on the work of the Edo swordsmiths from the Kanbun period mentioned earlier. Particularly swordsmiths such as Yamato (no) Kami Yasusada, Kasusa (no) Kami Kaneshige and Nagasone Kotetsu are noted for their sharpness, being classified as Saijo-wazamono or “supremely sharp” and often have gold inlaid cutting attestations, called a saiden-mei, on their nakago. Indeed, it is stated by Fujishiro sensei in Shinto-Jiten that much of Kotetsu’s fame and popularity in his own day, was a direct result of his close relationship with sword testers. Although most swords tested seem to have been katana or long swords, a surprising amount of wakizashi or short swords, seem to have been successfully tested. Although they were apparently tested, I have never seen the results carved onto the nakago of either yari (spears) or naginata (halberds).

Sword in mounting for testing

In my own collection, I have a sword which unusually has undergone two cutting tests and these are described on the nakago in some detail. One may make certain interesting deductions from the inscriptions. The sword is o-suriage or greatly shortened and has lost the original signature of the swordsmith, but has been attributed to Kiyomitsu of Kaga province. It is now quite a slender wakizashi or short sword and has the results of the two cutting tests inscribed on the remaining nakago. The earliest is dated 1672 and states that it cut through two dō. This may indicate that the owner needed to know that it was still an effective blade after the original shortening had taken place. It may also be deduced from the position of the hi or groove as well as the higher mekugi-ana or peg hole, that this was cut into the blade after the shortening and original cutting test but before the second test. The second test, performed in 1676, only four years after the first, states Yotsudo Dodan Barai (4 bodies cut right through to the earth mound) and then Kiri-te Nakanishi Jurobei (cut by the hand of Nakanishi Jurobei). It may be thought that the owner, once again needed to be convinced that after so many alterations had been made to his sword, it was still able to cut well and so it seems that it could. This full inscription was originally inlaid in gold, kin-zogan, and there are still small traces of it left. Unfortunately it has been painstakingly picked out for the small amount it was worth as bullion, (almost certainly after its surrender and import into the UK) but the devaluation of the sword is far greater (see *An Interesting Saidan Mei” under Articles on this website, for more on this sword)

In an old sword book entitled Token Benran, it is mentioned that the tester, Nakanishi Jurobei no Jo Yukimitsu, to give him his full name, was able to cut through three bodies and even seven! The sword which cut three bodies into the dodan was made by Hizen Ju Omi Daijo Fujiwara Tadahiro and had a straight or suguha hamon (which is often considered the sharpest hamon) and this would have been a new sword at that time. The sword which cut seven dō, was by Seki Kanefusa, had a midare hamon and was tested in the Enpo period. This latter test is often thought to be a highly exaggerated result and certainly seems strange. However, we must assume that the test was witnessed but we do not know for sure the condition or thickness of the bodies, or other precise details of the test. It is worth mentioning also that there were many variables when testing. First of course, was the blade’s sharpness, but the technique and skill of the tester, as well as the hardness and toughness of the body, might all make great differences to the result of the test.

Kinzogan Saidan Mei on a sword by Kotetsu (courtesy of Bob Benson and Bushido magazine)

There seems to have been few tests from about 1690-1780 and this was a period of where few swordsmiths of any note existed and sword production was very low, reflecting the peaceful times and decline in martial spirit of the samurai. However, by about 1780, the country was experiencing internal strife as well as having the borders of the country being tested by Western navies, trying to open trading relations. The great sword revivalist, Masahide, preached a return to the old ways of making swords and this heralded the so-called shinshinto period of sword making.

It was obvious to many samurai, often rather junior members of their clans, that there would soon be war. They supported a return of the Emperor to full ruling powers and claimed that these had been usurped by the Tokugawa family of shoguns. Additionally they felt that the shogunate were allowing foreign incursions into the country, in violation of the strict exclusion laws.

The number of swordsmiths increased and so the practice of sword testing again became popular. I have in my collection a very good sword by Koyama Munetsugu, who was the foremost swordsmith in the Bizen Ichimonji style at this time. He was a retained swordsmith of the Kuwana clan and appeared to have a keen interest in the sharpness of his blades, as many were tested by the clan’s samurai. It seems that he also had a close relationship with the Yamada Asaemon family, the official testers, and my sword was made as a gift to Yamada Asaemon Yoshimasa, the chief tester to the Tokugawa shogun. Many of Munestugu’s swords were inscribed with tests carried out at the Senju execution ground and many different cuts were used and mentioned in the nakago inscriptions, such as Ryo-guruma (hips), Taitai (chest) and chiwari (armpits). A beautifully made sword that also was capable of the most difficult cuts, is indeed a treasure.

Finally, in more modern times, tests were often made in the early Showa period, the time leading up to the Pacific War. Again it was necessary for the 20th century samurai, imbued with patriotism and bushido, to know if his sword would cut. One of the most accomplished testers was a kendo master named Hakudo Nakayama. Tests were carried out on straw bales wrapped around bamboo, as this was supposed to have a similar consistency to flesh and bone. Hakudo demonstrated his skills in front of leading politicians and army officers and even in front of the Emperor on one occasion.

As swords are still made today (shinsaku-to) they are occasionally tested. I have seen a modern sword made by my Yoshihara Yoshindo, cut through an old metal helmet and, although slightly scuffed, the sword did not bend, chip or break, proving that today’s craftsmen remain true to their calling.

Source: www.to- ken.com

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Tsuba Collection

Ten Tsuba Collection

By Clive Sinclaire

I seldom write anything other than on the subject of Japanese sword blades, but this by no means should be taken as an indication that I have no appreciation of other aspects of the arts of the Japanese sword. By this I refer to the fantastic art in miniature that may be found on tosogu and especially the tsuba which is considered foremost of the tosogu. It seems easier for most “ordinary” people to appreciate the fantastic workmanship in various metals that are shown in both the limited space and unusual shapes of Japanese sword fittings, than the sometimes more subtle and esoteric beauty of a blade. Over several decades of collecting Japanese swords, it is maybe not surprising that I have accumulated a number of tsuba. I use the word “accumulated” advisedly as I am ashamed to say that I have seldom gone out to deliberately buy tsuba and more importantly, I have never studied them in the depth that they warrant. Unlike many of the fittings specialists, I am unable to classify all but the most obvious by school, maker or even period and my collection is a real hotch-potch of styles. A small number are iron sukashi and the rest include a number of soft metal pieces, of dubious taste and quality. On looking at them now, I see a number have an iron plate but have surface decorations in a variety of soft metals and I think my favourites are amongst this group.

Rather than talking about this tsuba in a very technical manner, which would be beyond me anyhow, I thought it might be of interest to discuss my own personal impressions and to write a little about the subjects depicted on them. I believe that a full understanding of the subject matter greatly enhances the pleasure of viewing tsuba. I have taken ten at random to do this.

1) Tanto tsuba.

A small tanto sized tsuba in mokko-gata form made of shakudo with a nanako finish on which is depicted a varied floral design, possibly representing the four seasons. This unsigned piece is probably late Edo period Mino-Goto work. The design is in various soft metals including gold, silver and copper, both sides are richly adorned in this manner and the nanako work is very fine.

Ex Newman Coll 357 (Glendenning 1946)

2) Tanto tsuba.

Another tanto sized tsuba of oval form. The base is a smooth shakudo plate with one kodzuka ana and is also unsigned. On the front side is depicted a Dutchman in relief with his loose fitting shirt or jacket and breeches. His copper face is quite rounded whilst his clothing is highlighted in various soft metals, as are the leaves on the rocky ground on which he is standing and the pine tree under which he is shown. The clouds and the tree continue onto the reverse side where the trunk of the tree is to be found.

The fascination and amusement of the Japanese for foreign looks, dress and customs is reflected in this tsuba. The Dutch were the only foreigners to be allowed to stay in Japan throughout the entire period of the Tokugawa seclusion. The Dutch East India Company was allowed to trade from Deshima (a small man-made island) in Nagasaki bay. Like the daimyo they had to travel on a yearly attendance on the shogun in Edo, otherwise they were confined to Deshima, which must have been a small spy-glass for the shogunate on the outside world. The Dutch are often depicted in Japanese art especially in what is known as Nambam art. It is quite possible therefore, that this tsuba was made in Nagasaki or its environs.

Ex Dr Hillborough Coll

Ex Newman Coll

3) Large tsuba

This is an unusually shaped piece, being convex on two sides and concave on the other two. The first impression of it is that it is extremely heavy and it is difficult to imagine that it was ever actually mounted on a sword. Both hitsu-ana are filled with what appears to be oxidized lead. The plate is shibuichi, smooth on the front but with an ishimé finish on the reverse.

The front side illustrates a trough in shakudo standing on a deeply grained wooden base, which is in copper. In the top right hand corner of the reverse is a shakudo wheel on which concentric lines are engraved. Through this wheel is a silver rod.

At first I thought that the trough may have been something to do with ikebana (flower arranging) but this is not the case. In fact it is what is called a “Yagen”. This is similar to a Western pestle and mortar. Either drugs or herbs are placed in the trough and the wheel is run up and down it held with the two hands grasping the silver rod as a handle, to crush the contents. An unusual subject for an unusual tsuba, probably late Edo or Meiji period work.

Ex Newman Coll

4) Iron tsuba.

This piece is round (maru-gata) and has a thick iron plate that has a reddish hue and has a single hitsu-ana. On the front side is an armoured figure in low relief, wearing an eboshi (court cap) and holding a bow and arrows. The face and hands are in silver, the bow in copper, both armour and clothing are highlighted in gold whilst the eboshi is in copper and shakudo. He is standing on a bridge, the lines of which are carved into the base whilst the posts are depicted in gilt. The reverse side has no illustration but the name of the artist Mikamiyama with a kakihan, all in gold.

I quote from a Sotheby’s catalogue on this tsuba: “A circular tsuba carved in iro-e takazogan with Yoshitsune at the Gojo Bridge, details in silver, shakudo, copper, gilding and gold nunome, 7.2 cm., inscribed in gold nunome Mikamiyama with kakihan”. (their italics)

Yoshitsune, the Minamoto hero is often depicted at the Gojo Bridge in Kyoto with Benkei who is absent from this rendition. Every Japanese child knows the story of Yoshitsune and whenever Yoshitsune is spoken of, Benkei is also. This tsuba depicts Yoshitsune at the Gojo Bridge where he met Benkei, the giant naginata wielding monk. Benkei an avid collector of fine swords had vowed that he would collect one thousand pieces and he had only one more to go. He lay await at the Gojo Bridge awaiting the one sword to complete his collection, when he saw the young Yoshitsune crossing and carrying a magnificently mounted gold sword at his waist.

Benkei, reputedly ten feet tall, impressively clad in full armour was disappointed that on such an auspicious occasion, he would have to take his one-thousandth sword from such a slight youth. The challenge however, was both issued and accepted. Yoshitsune slipped past the giant monk’s guard and knocked a weapon from his grasp and the fight was on in earnest. Benkei was amazed at Yoshitsune’s skill, not realising that the young warrior had received divine tuition from the Tengu, and was eventually disarmed and at the mercy of the young Yoshitsune.

He fell to his knees and pleaded with the Minamoto hero to allow him to become his retainer. Yoshitsune accepted and Benki’s life style saw an immediate change. He was to stay by his master’s side until their deaths together, the classic example of loyalty.

Sotheby’s Sale March 1980

Ex D Parker April 1980

5) Shakudo tsuba

An unsigned wakizashi sized tsuba in mokko-gata form from the late Edo period. The plate is in shakudo nanako but the nanako work is not of the best quality. There is a thick gilt mimi (rim) and one hitsu-ana which is lined in a same fashion to the mimi.

On the front side are five figures in Heian period court attire, depicted in relief. They are richly dressed in flowing robes, which are in gold, copper and shakudo as they stand beneath a leafy willow tree. In the top part of the tsuba is a copper ball, in fact these figures are playing football, or a version of it that was popular in the Imperial court of the Heian period. The reverse side shows the trunk of the willow and the goal.

This is waki-Goto work from the late Edo period, and although of lesser quality, the unusual subject appealed to me.

Ex Newman Coll 50 (Glendenning 1948)

6) Large iron tsuba

This is a good sized iron mokko-gata tsuba, unsigned with two gold plugged hitsu-ana. The iron plate is thick and has a very good colour. The front of the tsuba depicts Tekkai Sennin blowing his soul to heaven. Tekkai’s soul is shown as a small figure with silver and copper details. The figure of Tekkai and details of his clothing are boldly depicted in relief and highlights are in gold, which contrasts well with the rich patination of the ground. Tekkai’s limbs and face appear to be in shibuichi. Above his head is a pine branch and the reverse continues the background design of leaves and pine trees with gilded highlights.

Tekkai Sennin is a figure adopted from Chinese mythology where he was known as Li T’ieh Kwai Sien Sheng. Joly’s Legend in Japanese Art, has the following information:

He was one of the eight chief immortals of Taoist lore, depicted as a man of beggarly appearance and often repulsive face, blowing his spirit into space in the form of a miniature figure riding on a staff, or occasionally on Chokwaro’s horse, or in the form of Gamma’s frog,

His story is told in two different ways. According to one version adopted in Mayer’s Chinese Reader, he was a young man named Li, who was very handsome and of commanding appearance, and who mastered the mysteries of Taoism with the help of Lao Tse himself, who either descended from heaven or called Li up to the clouds to discourse with him on the sacred subjects. One day he was going to the sky to answer his master’s command, Li instructed one of his disciples to guard his body, and if his spirit did not return within seven days, to commit it to the fire.

Unfortunately, the disciple’s mother was very ill, and on the sixth day her son had to go and see her, leaving Tekkai’s body alone. When the spirit of the sage returned he could not re-enter his own body, and had perforce to be content with a lame ugly beggar who had just died by the roadside. Tekkai then became a lame, ugly old man with an iron shaft. The other story, as given in the “Resin Zen den” (l 16) and quoted by Anderson, agrees in the main with the above, but when the spirit of the sage returned, not only his material frame had been devitalised by the absence of his disciple, but it had disappeared altogether, and the only available earthly shape near at hand was the body of a starved toad, into which the spirit had to enter, transforming the toad’s body into an ugly, lame human being”

Ex A Bale 1983

7) Iron sukashi tsuba

This katana sized tsuba is of a rounded square shape and has two hitsu-ana and one udenuki-ana. The rim displays a feature known as tokketsu (bones) which are hard bits of iron impurities that are the result of the forging and considered desirable attributes. The iron plate itself has a good patination and overall the piece gives a strong and manly appearance. The surface of the plate, both on the front and reverse, has a tile or tortoise-shell (Bekkō) ground that is blurred and does not extend over the entire surface. In negative silhouette (yo-sukashi) there is an axe upon which is a nata or billhook, in low relief. One may be forgiven for thinking that the blurring of the ground is due to mistreatment or rubbing, but this is far from the case.

This tsuba refers to a semi-mythical person who was nicknamed “the Butcher”, who having subdued the greater part of Japan decided to liquidate a certain noble warlord whose territory he coveted. He assembled his commanders in a large garden house consisting of one room. This room was lined with hexagonal porcelain tiles (this might indicate a Chinese origin to the story). The local noblemen’s sons attended the meeting having disguised themselves as half-witted gardeners and sought employment with the Butcher, and as such attended the briefing meeting where they were completely ignored. Previously they had put away their swords and armed themselves with nata, a humble gardening tool, and at an opportune moment flung themselves at the Butcher and his commanders, killing the leader and some of his generals before being cut to pieces themselves.

The blurred hexagons refer to tiles heavily splashed with the three men’s blood. Usually there are three nata but in this case there is one and an axe. The nata crossing the axe alludes to the fury of the combat. The expedition withdrew leaving the territory unscathed.

So a blurred or rubbed surface turns out to be something quite different showing that, as is so often the case in kodogu, all is not what it first appears to be. I think that this may be 18^th century Miochin work as the subject is frequently seen in their work.

8) Sentoku sukashi tsuba

This round sukashi tsuba is unsigned and made from the alloy, sentoku. It has a single hitsu-ana filled with a shakudo plug, The design is of a Rain Dragon in the clouds and rain the rain is continued onto the solid part of the base where it is shown as straight lines carved into the ground, The scales of the dragon are finely carved and its highlights are in gold.

Dragons are probably the most common mythological creatures to be found on sword furniture. Originally taken from Chinese folklore, the Japanese dragon differs mainly in the number of claws. The ordinary Chinese creature has four claws on each foot whilst the Japanese one has three on the ordinary dragon but five on the Imperial dragon.

The dragon is often associated with water, especially the Rain Dragon Amario, featured on this tsuba. Another rules the waves and lives beneath the sea or at the bottom of lakes in the Ryugu-jo, the Dragon Palace. Joly’s Legend in Japanese Art states:

The dragon (Tatsu) is one of the signs of the zodiac, and the four seas which in Chinese mythology-astronomy, limit the habitable are ruled by the four Dragon Kings:

· The celestial dragon presides over the mansions of the Gods and keeps them from decay.

· The spiritual dragon ministers the rain.

· The earth dragon marks out the courses of rivers

· The dragon of hidden treasures watches over the precious metals and stones buried beneath the earth.

There are others and the amount varies according to which source one prefers, differing in colours and with different attributes. As an emblem, the dragon represents both male and female principle, continuous changes and variations of life, as symbolised by its unlimited powers of adaptation accommodating itself to all surroundings, therefore never finished, like the everlasting cycles of life”.

Sothebys 1981

9) A rounded square tsuba in shibuichi

This is a good sized shibuichi tsuba of quadri-oval shape with a convex rim and one hitsu-ana, signed Kaneyuki. The subject is of Shoki in low relief threatening an Oni in the sky. Shoki’s beard and clothing are all finely carved whilst the clouds in the sky are in kata-kiri style. The clothing and Oni are highlighted in gold (one eye is missing on the Oni. The reverse shows a willow tree beside a stream under a crescent moon. 18^th century, Hamano school.

Shoki, the Demon Queller, is a common figure in Japanese art. He was said to have been a student at the Chinese court but failed his Imperial examinations and, rather than live without a degree, he committed suicide. On hearing of this, the Chinese emperor decided to have him buried with full honours and Shoki’s grateful spirit vowed to expel demons for all eternity. In Japanese art, Shoki is usually depicted in martial garb brandishing a large sword and hunting down Oni. However, the scene is usually depicted humourously as the Oni only grin at Shoki and hide in strange places, in wells, in boxes or even right behind Shoki or even on top of his large hat.

Sometimes Shoki is shown sharpening his large sword on a rock, whilst the Oni is seen at a safe distance drinking from a gourd. Another representation shows Shoki applying a Moxa to himself. Close by stands an Oni gloating at the pain Shoki is experiencing and saying “I thought you were a demon queller and yet see how you feel the effect of such a small fire”.

Usually, as in this tsuba, Shoki is depicted with a long flowing beard and often riding on a Korean lion. In most cases it seems that the great Demon Queller is the victim of the Oni’s cunning tricks that both vex him and amuse us.

Ex Peake Collection

Ex Newman Collection (Glendenning 1946)

10) Monkey showman

This is a round iron, unsigned piece with a single hitsu-ana. The main hole through which the blade passes (the nakago-ana) has silver sekigane. The base plate has a reddish hue. In relief on the front side is a figure holding a monkey, the monkey showman or Saru Mawashi looking at the distant hills. Both his and the monkey’s face are in copper whilst other details are highlighted in gold, copper and shakudo. The reverse shows a pine tree, also with gold highlights.

The Saru Mawashi is best known for being used by Kusunoke Masashige as a ruse of war. Masashige was famed for supporting the Emperor Go-daigo against the usurpation of Imperial powers by Ashikaga Takatoki in the early 14^th century. Besieged in a fort at Akasaka, Masashige’s force resorted to a trick to escape annihilation. Piling all the surrounding dead bodies onto a pyre, they convinced the attackers that the defenders had committed mass suicide and so were able to make their escape un-noticed. The opposing force therefore, only felt it necessary to garrison the fort with a token force.

Masashige sent one of his retainers, Onichi Sakon, disguised as a Saru Mawashi, back to the occupied fort to discover the enemy’s intentions. Onichi discovered that a convoy was expected soon and Masashige was able to intercept it and capture it. Taking the convoy’s weapons and hiding his men in the wagons, Masashige was able to effect an entry into the fort. The garrison promptly joined forces with Masashige and the Imperial cause.

As Masashige was considered to be the epitome of loyalty to the emperor, even unto death, the depiction of Saru Mawashi on this late Edo period tsuba, might be considered to have anti-Tokugawa and pro-Imperial overtones?