Tosogu Technique Q: Omori Undercut

[kaigunair]

Been looking at examples and reading various online articles about the Omori school. Beautiful stuff. Been trying to understand their famous "undercut" workmanship.

 

I know its one of those things I probably need to see in person, but was wondering if anyone could provide macro photos of what they mean by an "undercut". I think I see this in Omori waves, but with photos being mostly head on, hard to see the depth of the undercut. I also read an article on tetsugundo about an undercut used to make a hole in a tree trunk, which I was trying to figure out how that would work.

 

Was the Omori undercut done by carving away material from the base plate (Sukidashi bori 鋤出彫?), or from adding material on top of the baseplate and carving away at it (some sort of zogan + carving of the inlayed material). If the former, I'm thinking the base plate for Omori work must have been really thick. If the latter, is this considered a form of Takabori (高彫)? I'm also alittle unclear what constitues high -med- low relief carving, so any pics and explanations would be much appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Brian]

It's all carved from solid. In hand...quite mindblowing. I am sure some pics will come soon enough.

Copy work can be very impressive too. But pales when compared to the real thing.

 

Brian

[Curran]

Not the best example for your question, but a start:

http://www.nihonto.com/5.10.12.html

 

Ask Bald Mountain to see it in person at the next San Fran meeting.

[runagmc]

[kaigunair]

Curran, thanks and will inquire at a later date. That is a looker.

Runagmc: thank you for the pics. That angle does show the under cut a lot better than most. I'm ever more impressed with the skill needed to carve out the waves from a solid block.

 

It does make me wonder if it wouldn't have been easier for the waves to be done as an inlay, or at least part of them. Removing all that material, rounding out the waves, maybe a combination of casting and then finishing work would have been an easier way to go?

 

Is the Omori school technique explained via photo essay in any books, Japanese or english? I'm thinking of something like Ford's video with the making of the tiger tsuba...

 

I just keep getting more impressed. Please, more side angle pics!

[raiden]

Just so everyone understands, the Omori School did not only do sukashi undercuts in their wave format. This technique appears in many of their top level works, such as this example done for the tree trunk. In this case he basically took a Hamano design and said I could make this more better by applying the high level techniques of the Omori kei. And yes this tsuba has been certified as genuine by the NBTHk and may well challenge the Juyo shinsa soon.

[raiden]

[raiden]

[raiden]

[runagmc]

In my opinion it would be far easier to carve these deep recessed carvings in solid material rather than any mix of inlay (to build higher areas) and carving. That would just be adding even more difficulty and steps the way I see it...

 

Mike_that's an amazing piece...

 

Edit- If there's only a few high points that will stand well above the ground, obviously inlay will make the job easier... but when the whole piece is full of high and low points, like the fuchi kashira I posted, carving out of solid material would be the way the to go...

[Brian]

An awesome tsuba Mike, thanks for sharing and for the various close-ups. No doubt that is an excellent candidate for Juyo shinsa.

That tree and the undercutting show great technique. Is that one piece of "bark" actually raised above the other ground level?

 

Brian

[kaigunair]

Wow, great photos Mike. Much appreciated. Sorry for the late reply, as I was attending to the little one last evening. I definitely understand the skill of the omori school a lot better.

 

Thanks for taking the time to post those!

[Curran]

Mike said, "In this case he basically took a Hamano design and said I could make this more better by applying the high level techniques of the Omori kei."

 

I like that explanation a lot. Hamano's supposed founder Shozui (aka. Masayuki) often worked with that depth of field. I've seen it several times, the most memorable being a deer on a fuchi walking towards the observer. It had one leg forward of the plate, as if just about to raise into the open air, two rendered at the level of the base, and the last leg cut into the plate. All trying to convey motion and depth.

 

It worked, but sense of depth was a little bit bent or warped as with a fisheye camera lens.

I think the top level Omori stuff is much better, but I haven't seen a lot of the authentic stuff outside of books.

[Ford Hallam]

Interesting take on this 'advanced' technique

 

There's a wise adage in art that suggests that "better is the enemy of good"

 

The point being that simply pushing technical aspects of an art work doesn't automatically make it superior.

 

To suggest that by taking the original Hamano style and simply pushing one purely technical aspect it somehow becomes superior is to miss the point of art. As it happens undercutting such as on the tree bark isn't particularly difficult, it's seen on any number of soft metal work pieces but really is nothing more than virtuoso twiddling, a clever but ultimately superficial gimmick. Just because a craftsman can do something doesn't always mean he should. The converse is also true, one can't do too little either, the art lies in doing just the right amount. With their waves, the Omori push the limits of carving and the effect is dazzling and works magnificently. On this tree bark it feels contrived to me, but that just my opinion on the aesthetics of the trick. For me the original and finest of Hamano workmanship is perfect as it is and in no way inferior to Omori work of the top level.

 

[kaigunair]

Interesting take on this 'advanced' technique

 

 

 

..... ..... ... :? ..... ...

 

Hmmm...well, taken to extreme, I see why a mainly Tosho tsuba collector might view the machibori kinko stuff as superfluous fluff.

 

Very appreciative of the pics which help me understand this technique. I see there is another thread on where the thread led too, so I'll go poke around there...

 

[runagmc]

One more example of deeply carved waves, if anyones interested... these are some of the nicest I have seen...

[nagamaki - Franco]

One more example of deeply carved waves

 

Compared to Omori Teruhide's best work these would fall into the B range.

[nagamaki - Franco]

Just spotted this http://www.nihonto.com/5.10.12.html , which in light of the Mike & Ford discussion regarding Omori Teruhide's workmanship is perhaps even more appropriate to the conversation.

[kaigunair]

Thanks Adam and Franco for the lovely pics. I will definitely be looking for Omori works at the august show to view this technique in person.