Bugyotsuji

包弁 (?)

Changing the subject just for a moment, but loving the thoughts of woodworkers above! Last night I was watching a programme about restoring some of the walls and ceilings of a gorgeously appointed Bunkazai temple residence somewhere in Japan. (Missed the beginning so not sure where exactly it was.) Imagine large connected tatami rooms in Nijo Jo with colourful Kano-painted fusuma and wall panels, golden, with black-lacquered beams and gold fittings everywhere. That kind of place. One problem which the priest pointed out was a long vertical split in the samite gold cloth trimming down the right side of a sliding panel. They introduced the young artisan expert, wearing a backpack of tools, who assured us he would repair it in the traditional way as he had learned from his father and grandfather before him. The guy spread out a small plastic sheet on the tatami and placed upon it his minimal tool set. He opened a small Tupperware tub and showed us the glistening 'nori' rice-paste glue, the same as traditionally used by schoolchildren. "Repairs may have to be conducted again in the same place in the future" he explained, "so nothing permanent". "In fact," he added, pulling away some yellowed paper residue from out of the crack with his tweezers, "you can see how someone has done this before." He painted the Nori glue onto both sides of a hand-sized sheet of plastic, and slipped it under the edge of the gold cloth fabric, pressing it down with some brown paper as he withdrew his slide. Half an hour of repeating this process, and he declared himself finished. Could we see the line of the 'repair', well, yes, even as the camera crew said "no". Next we moved to a high-ceilinged corridor where one square-framed ceiling panel had a similar fabric split across the painting of flowers. He climbed an A-frame stepladder and used the same process over another half an hour. The after photo still showed a hairline crack and some discolouration where the Nori had seeped through(?) but at least the material was flat, stuck back in place. Educational? Yes, for me it was.

Look at the Kamon on Shibata Katsuie’s kimono.

Birds in sukashi tsuba must help provide strength to the construction, but surrounded by air, still be recognizable as birds (in flight). When there are numbers of them, as we observe them in the sky, first impressions will be important, especially so for the artisan since each has to be carved/cut out, in balance/harmony with the others depicted. Certain birds had symbolic meanings, so certain features may have been tokenly emphasized, but rarely in any sense accurate to nature. Each artisan may have had a quick formula, and then we find a lot of artistic crossover over the centuries, so pinning exact species down will be a rabbit warren. Bird representations can range from the general, as children draw them, to the exquisitely detailed as in Jean's geese above. Even so, the quick formula 'bird in flight' shape may be key to finding a particular tsuba artist within a 'school'. Kyoto Daigoro?

Dated Showa 48, but the photo is just too fuzzy for me to make out the shop name. The proprietor signing this authentication certificate was Ōzawa Toshio.(sp?)

Maybe fit onto this Nakago?

Can’t see it sideways very well, but Suishinshi (?) Masahide. 正秀

Now you have put the cat among the pigeons, Mauro.

I like a good mystery!

On Sunday a collector friend at a monthly outdoor event said he had something in his car for me so we walked over and he handed me a bag with something boxy inside. Today I finally got around to opening it. Five stacking trays for nine tsuba each, enough for 45 tsuba! Have just sent him a thank-you message.

The dark side of the moon.

Just for a moment there Jean, I thought I saw a spot of rust…

Both Shioda and Shiota are common readings of this family name 塩田. I have a friend who says ‘Shiota’.

Actually I particularly like Yoshifusa too. Today sadly I was with people and did not take many photos, *although I do have some Yoshifusa pics somewhere from earlier exhibitions there.

They ask you to place a sticker against which sword you liked best.