Which Of Your Tsubas Best Embodies The Wabi-Sabi Aesthetic?

[Michael 101]

Love Petes kozuka, so much like a classic ink picture of the period. Its just oozes atmosphere and the moon to the reverse just perfect. Great find.

Kindest regards

 

Michael

[rkg]

Hmmm... Not sure what I've currently got that really personifies this aesthetic - as a pal commented "lotsa wabi,but sabi..." :-)

 

Maybe this?

 

 

 

here's a couple of others:

 

 

Best,

rkg

(Richard George)

[Stephen]

Rich

 

You know i love love that center one. If ever you consider passing it along ..ill work on which bank I'll hit. Smily face

[Tim Evans]

To Steve:

 

Thank You for explaining my own words!

That’s exactly what I meant though I tried to say it as short as possible. Probably too short...

 

To all:

I think It would be a good idea to get engaged with tea culture and tea aesthetics. This could help in understanding wabi-sabi.

I'd like to recommend a book by Soetsu Yanagi: “The unknown craftsman. A Japanese insight to beauty.” - it deals with pottery only but it's very enlightning.

 

Florian

 

 

 

Yanagi has some interesting and helpful observations and stories, however, there are some of his speculations about the history of the objects, and who made them and why, that I think should be treated with skepticism.

 

I fully agree that to appreciate the Japanese aesthetic principles being discussed, that it is very important to understand the cultural context. This would be late Muromachi to Early Edo Period Japanese culture. The cult of Cha-no-yu or Tea, as it developed during this period is a key element. Buke culture, particularly in the area of esoteric or spiritual beliefs and practices, is also important.

 

Having read most of the available writing about wabi in English, I have the impression that it is an important but slippery idea. In contemporary usage, wabi is often confused or conflated with sabi and is now a trendy term, wabi-sabi. What is meant now by wabi-sabi I think is different from the 16^th Century Japanese usage of wabi. One must be aware that the history of tea has developed many layers over 450 years, so something of an archaeological approach is needed to separate out what was happening by time period. Many confuse later developments in the philosophy of tea with earlier practice.

 

Many descriptions of wabi and wabi-sabi in the current marketplace of ideas are vague and contradictory, and are often co-opted in an effort to sell something, such as interior design. The typical descriptions in English have an over-emphasis on appearance, and vaguely dance around how something has the look of, or symbolizes, “humility”, “melancholy,” imperfection”, “impermanence”, or “insufficiency” to list a few commonly used words. Wabi is sometimes described as a style or a characteristic, but, 16^th Century Japanese wabi was really Buddhism, which is a practice, rather than appearance or posing, and in order to understand it, it is useful to examine the larger social implications in 16^th century Japan and how it was applied culturally.

 

In my view, wabi (at the time) was a Buddhist Way of Being, and was primarily an ethic rather than an an aesthetic, although it had aesthetic impacts. This ethic of wabi informed the Tea Master’s material choices, and we can see that in the design of their tea houses, gardens, and utensils. I think examining wabi as an ethic makes it easier to understand wabi aesthetic choices and provides a deeper and richer meaning and context. Old Japanese words that are more specific to study in terms of wabi are wabicha (poverty tea) and wabizumai (the wabi way of living). These words imply that wabi was something one practiced, rather than what something looked or felt like. Ethically, the question is why was this wabi method of tea developed, and, what for?

 

The prominent people in the wabicha movement such as Jo-o, Sogyu, Sokyu and Rikyu were dedicated and accomplished Buddhists. All of them were in business as Tea utensil dealers and teachers of esoteric Tea ritual. They created an inclusive tea (Soan Tea and later, Wabi Tea) as a Buddhist Culture of Awakening within the Machi-shu class. The practice of an art as a Buddhist path to enlightenment or "way" (do or michi) is a well understood application among the Japanese martial arts. Judo, kendo, and kyudo are examples.  

 

Recent scholarship on the sociology of wabicha focuses on its ceremonial or ritual function, such as in the work of Theodore Ludwig and Herbert Plutschow. The earlier form of the Tea ceremony, or Shoincha, as practiced primarily by the Ashikaga, used the tea ritual to assert dominance and hierarchy. It had a confirmatory purpose to impose social order.

 

Ludwig and Plutchow make the case that the goal of the Buddhism - oriented wabicha experience was transformatory; to break down the barriers of suspicion and distrust between rivals and to allow them to get to know each other as people. In modern corporate-speak, this was like a “bonding and team building” transformatory experience to promote unity among the Japanese, particularly those of rival clans and different classes. What was valuable to the Tea Masters about the material objects - the construction of the ceremonial space and the choice of utensils - was not their rarity, or importance, or cost, or desirability, but how they harmonized and related together to support this transformatory experience.

 

There is a similar sense of these wabi - Buddhist values that we see in some sword fittings, especially tsuba. What wabi tea innovated was a commonly understood visual language to to express wabi ideals. This visual language was applied to many aspects of Japanese material culture and indicated an accomplishment of cultural refinement and taste.

 

So, yes, read more books if you want to understand how wabi aesthetic language relates to sword fittings. Here are some suggestions.

• Japanese Art and the Tea Ceremony

• Rediscovering Rikyu

• Japanese Tea Culture

• Cha-No-Yu

• Turning Point

• Tea in Japan

 

A short introduction to a Japanese martial art (and other arts) as a Buddhist Way, is Zen in the Art of Archery by Eugen Herrigel.

 

On the topic of Buddhism, and its views on materialism and the proper way of living, I find the works of Stephen Batchelor to be helpful.

 

 

Tim Evans 

[zanilu]

I don't know if this embodies wabi or sabi, both or none of them, the concept is too tough for me at the moment.

I am working on it.

 

It certainly gives me a me melancholic feeling!

 

 

Regards

Luca

[Kurikata]

relaxing and introspection tsuba to me

[Brian]

Bruno, is that yours?

[Curran]

Bruno, is that yours?

 

Same question. +1

[Stephen]

NO its mine as soon as he sells it to me!! LOL

[Kurikata]

I have to admit: yes it is one of mine! And if question is : do you sell it, response is no. Thank you anyway for you interest for a very wabi-sabi tsuba...

[Curran]

My reason for asking was:

I took one look at it and thought =>   Ichijo school work.

[Kurikata]

Curran, totally in line with you and I personally tend to think it is a tsuba from Funada Ikkin even if it is mumei. This tsuba has been discussed some time ago:http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/13285-funada-ikkin-tsuba/?hl=ikkin

[Curran]

Bruno-  seeing the other side of the tsuba, I agree. The Ikkin line is a very good candidate.

 

That was an interesting older thread on Ikkin and Ikkin II by Ford H.

It predates me getting into the Ikkin question. I didn't "take the lid off" learning about Ichijo and his students until about 2013-2014, until after Ford's initial thread.

This is not to say I went very deep in the dive into the topic.

 

Since shodai and nidai lifespan largely overlapped, as I eventually got to observe pieces I began to conclude that the nidai sort of got the short end of the stick in the modern world.

While there were a number of what I would call obvious gimei, there were others signed but not papered by the NBTHK with workmanship (materials, planning, execution) that I thought equivalent or sometimes better than Wakayama / NBTHK acknowledged works by shodai. The NBTHK stance of years passed seemed to be to pretend the nidai didn't exist or that they didn't feel comfortable papering to him. This is reflected a bit in the NBTHK publication uploaded in the Ford thread.

     I really wondered how the nidai faired later in life after his father passed and the wearing of swords was banned. Did he move into other areas of production, and are many of the unsigned examples we see of this sort done by him [either while his father was alive, or thereafter]? Of the signed examples rejected as gimei, or passed over as 'horai- needing further study', how many are by Ikkin II?

 

Note:  This is off topic from the wabi-sabi discussion.

Tim Evans has put forward quite the bit of information for absorbtion. I found the information about the Buddhist elements of Wabi to be very educational for someone as unread on the topic of tea as I am.

[lotus]

Bruno,

 

Great tsuba!

[Tim Evans]

Some additional thoughts on the topic of sabi

 

Many of the more recent attempts to explain sabi go to the “mellowed by use” idea that implies that these objects have wear and deterioration due to age and use, and since many of the objects that have been identified as having this characteristic are now old, there is an assumption that sabi equals antiqueness. What must be understood here is that there are intentional sabi objects were made to look the way that they look from the start, so their original appearance was not due to the accidents of time. D.T. Suzuki points this out in Zen and Japanese Culture:

“When this beauty of imperfection is accompanied by antiquity or primitive uncouthness, we have a glimpse of Sabi, so prized by Japanese connoisseurs. Antiquity and primitiveness may not be an actuality. If an object of art suggests even superficially the feeling of a historical period, there is Sabi in it.”

What can be confusing is that there are old deteriorated objects that are also referred to as sabi, but the original appearance and intention of the maker was very different. For example, kotosho and kokatchushi tsuba. Unlike later iron tsuba, the preferred appearance in the collector community of these two classes of tsuba is to leave them crusty looking in order evoke the sense that they are 600+ years old. We do not know what the original appearance of these tsuba looked like, my impression is their surfaces were originally much smoother and cleaner than how they typically look now. They acquired their sabi by accident rather than by design.

 

There is also confusion about two Japanese words that sound like sabi. There is one that refers to oxidation, such as when the term kin-sabi (gold rust) is used. The other one refers to specific appearance characteristics of objects that will be explained further on. Because of its relationship to objects, we are on firmer ground in discussing sabi in regard to sword fittings than wabi. Here is a quote from Sadler’s Cha-No-Yu that may be a good starting point (In reference to Honami Koetsu):

 

“As a lacquer artist he mixed brilliant gold with dull silver and lead on his writing cases and incense boxes, bringing a feeling of the ’Sabi’ of the Higashiyama age into the gorgeous fashions of Momoyama.”

So, “sabi” is a form of elegance with a particular antique “look” that was valued by the Japanese upper classes in the 15th and early 16th centuries. In Cha-no-Yu, it was introduced as a part of the earlier shoin-cha and re-emerged with daimyo-cha (which evolved shortly after wabi-cha). As Plutschow states in his book, Rediscovering Rikyu:

“Under (the Daimyo tea masters) Enshu and Sekishu, Confucianism gradually replaced Buddhism as tea’s underlying philosophy. Confucianism and Neo-Confucianism were about to become the official Tokugawa ideology and even Rikyu’s direct descendants, the so-called Senke schools, could not avoid it. Thus Rikyu’s tea changed from wabi to kirei-sabi.”

 

Impermanence is a cornerstone of Buddhist teaching and practice; a key fact of reality that must be dealt with. I believe the intent of objects made with sabi characteristics is to acknowledge, accept and celebrate impermanence. This was why the characteristic of sabi as expressed in objects was valued, particularly by Buddhists and Warriors.

 

One way for sabi objects express impermanence is to show process, in that we can see how they were made, and/or in that they (deliberately) look a little unfinished. For example, the yakite effects on Yamakichibei tsuba, which are semi-accidental and provide interest and movement in a natural way. There is also the process of time. Sabi objects were deliberately made to look old and worn. This is not the same as naturally deteriorated. Carving, inlay and onlay were rubbed down make them look gracefully aged and used (what is contemporarily called in the antique business, "distressing"). Also, repairs, such as sekigane were created for effect. This is sometimes difficult to judge if the effects were done well. On thing sabi is not, is crudeness, as in poor workmanship or materials. Made-as sabi objects were very sophisticated, and probably expensive, and the quality of the work will be evident when examined.

[JohnTo]

Here is the tsuba im my collection that i think embodies wabi sabi.  i think that it is Kanayama and I've posted it before in more detail.  The iron is roughly finished, looking heavily rusted, but its not.  Spokes have been removed to leave the simplest of designs.  In summary a natural looking piece of old iron with lots of imperfections that has a lonely, empty feel to it.  Wabi sabi as far as I'm concerned,

 

Best regards, John

[Tim Evans]

The design is a shippo pattern, which refers to "seven precious things". It was used as a kamon by several families. Based on the one image, I agree that that the smith intentionally made the tsuba in a rustic/sabi expression, which is considered to be informal. The presentation of the design, however is formal, so the overall synthesis is semi-formal. A good book on kamon is useful in deciphering these designs. One I like is Mon - The Japanese Family Crest by Kei Kaneda Chapplear.

[Curran]

As I said before, I've never been particularly confident in the topic of wabi or sabi.

 

Given Tim's additional comments, Higo kinko wave tsuba attached.

Impermanence or permanence, depending on your point of view? Both tsuba seem simple, yet have some extra complexity to them. Use of lacquer to deepen the waves.

[Tim Evans]

"Impermanence or permanence, depending on your point of view?"

 

That is very Buddhist.

 

 

Very nice tsuba.

[FlorianB]

Tim,

I have got the impression the deeper I get into this topic the more I have to learn...
Great comments of Yours!

Florian

[Stephen]

Your defiantly getting into something deeper...

[Steve Waszak]

Some additional thoughts on the topic of sabi

 

Many of the more recent attempts to explain sabi go to the “mellowed by use” idea that implies that these objects have wear and deterioration due to age and use, and since many of the objects that have been identified as having this characteristic are now old, there is an assumption that sabi equals antiqueness. What must be understood here is that there are intentional sabi objects were made to look the way that they look from the start, so their original appearance was not due to the accidents of time. D.T. Suzuki points this out in Zen and Japanese Culture:

 

“When this beauty of imperfection is accompanied by antiquity or primitive uncouthness, we have a glimpse of Sabi, so prized by Japanese connoisseurs. Antiquity and primitiveness may not be an actuality. If an object of art suggests even superficially the feeling of a historical period, there is Sabi in it.”

 

...Sabi objects were deliberately made to look old and worn. This is not the same as naturally deteriorated. Carving, inlay and onlay were rubbed down make them look gracefully aged and used (what is contemporarily called in the antique business, "distressing"). Also, repairs, such as sekigane were created for effect. This is sometimes difficult to judge if the effects were done well. On thing sabi is not, is crudeness, as in poor workmanship or materials. Made-as sabi objects were very sophisticated, and probably expensive, and the quality of the work will be evident when examined.

 

Well said, Tim.  The tsuba below, made by Shodai Nobuiye, well illustrates the ideas you express here.  The mon encircling the nakago-ana are worn and distressed to varying degrees, but as you observe, this is deliberate, with the intention being to express/evoke sabi.  Far from detracting from the nobility of the object, this effect greatly enhances it (that is, if one appreciates sabi ).  Were this distressed/worn effect not present, the tsuba would be seen as formal; but with this sabi enhancement, the tsuba becomes semi-formal, and thus more tightly fitted to certain Tea sensibilities.  Given that the piece dates to approximately 1590, when Tea Culture among the Buke was at an apex, its being made as an object exuding sabi is in keeping with its context.

 

 

[Tim Evans]

Thanks for the post Steve, that is a good example.

 

Here is another that I published in the 2017 KTK catalog that I think demonstrates intentional sabi. The description in part... "The nunome decoration is a thickly applied, very high karat gold and is suggestive of the gold lacquer repairs seen on cracked tea bowls. The purpose of the gold nunome is to invoke a sense of sabi. The fan papers sukashi (gigami) design was used as a mon by several Daimyo, but also recalls the artistic pastime of painting the fan paper before mounting on the fan ribs". Although the gold nunome looks random and sparse, it is all there. These are not the remnants of a flaked off decoration.

 

[lonely panet]

Just an observation but there appears that no one has posted any goto school, or highly decorated schools.

 

All tsuba posted so far are subtle and minimalistic

 

An interesting point in wabi sabi

????

[Soshin]

A wabi-sabi tsuba by Nobuie in my collection. The iron texture itself and the many layers of iron visible along the raised organic rim display visual and tactilely the principles of wabi-sabi.

[Ford Hallam]

To my mind the finest and most comprehensive essay on Wabi is the be found is the collection of writings.

In fact I'd highly recommend the entire collect of articles.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Japanese-Aesthetics-Culture-Studies-Development/dp/0791424006

 

The Wabi Aesthetic though the Ages, by Haga Koshiro

[Kanenaga]

Great thread!

 

 

So..., sabi??

Or just a badly damaged swordfitting?

 

 

[FlorianB]

Les,

judging by the picture alone the worn-out look was produced on purpose.

You can see similar ones from Higo frequently, occasionally the petals are executed in different metals on each side.

Florian

[Curran]

Florian and Les,

 

Worn out or and texturing are very much a part of such Shimizu-Jingo subset of the Higo set.

Les' isn't really at the level of most Shimizu-Jingo work, but probably would still be considered Higo. The inlay seems to have suffered a bit somehow.

 

Attached is an image of a Jingo of this sort that I previously owned.

The current owner is on NMB, so I will take the image down if they would rather I didn't share it.

I trimmed the image since I've found that Google seems to permanently pick up too many of the images I post here.

[Iekatsu]

One of my recent acquisitions, A Ko-Kinko Tsuba that I think perfectly embodies wabi-sabi.