The Art of the Japanese Sword Guard: Stories in Steel

[Kevin Adams]

As I alluded to in this topic a while ago... viewtopic.php?f=2&t=20284

 

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The Art of the Japanese Sword Guard ~ Stories in Steel

Oct. 27 - Nov. 15th, 2014 - Dark Horse Espresso Bar (682 Queen St. East, Toronto)

 

From my Facebook page (bear with me on the language, it's aimed at non-swordy types... )

 

"After much teasing and allusion via social media, I'd like to invite you all to a little something I've been working on...

 

As many of you know, a few years ago I embarked on the path of Classical Japanese metalworking, and that this has manifested itself for the most part as fittings for Japanese swords. While this has its own cultural niche and context that I study constantly, I've lately been attempting to refine the way in which I talk to people about this kind of work. Making the jump in perception from "cultural artifact" to "legitimate art form" is a story that I'm very interested in telling, and I've drawn inspiration to this end not only from my teacher Ford Hallam, but from other metalworkers circling this tradition and from an emerging group of individuals attempting to resurrect oral storytelling traditions.

 

There is an inextricable link between processes that were passed down from teacher to student, and how those processes were used to create the work. It is absolutely not just a causal matter of "do A to achieve B". It is instead a winding, organic process that serves only to develop an artist's sensitivity to the interplay between tool, material, subject matter, and their perceptions about the work. This narrative is what creates meaning in the work, and allows it to become what it was meant to be, and more.

 

So let me tell you a story, in a way that you may not have heard before. Allow me to show you a Japanese sword guard (tsuba) that is more than a centerpiece ornament for a sword, but a miniature depiction of the natural world, as perceived by a human being, using tools and processes that are reflective of that human being's immersion in a narrative. Let me show you some of my work that represents a chapter marker. Let me tell you a bit of my story.

 

Please swing by Dark Horse Espresso Bar (682 Queen Street East, Toronto), grab yourself a coffee, and immerse yourself in a story 400+ years in the making. I might even see you there, and we'll have some chats."

 

Here's a temporary online gallery with some photos of the tsuba that will be on display (and also for sale). Be sure to check back every now and again, I'll be updating it with additional photos as the display is put up in addition to the ura sides.

 

Hope to meet some of you there!

 

[b.hennick]

Hi Kev

Best of luck with the show! I will make the trip to see the work again and how you display it. Love the tadpole tsuba 😊
[Kevin Adams]

Thanks Barry!

 

The gallery at the link I posted before has been updated with some more tsuba photos, and shots of the installation.