refitting , what goes to where

[Bungo]

I am going to pop the No dancers menuki off this tanto and replace with the shishi....... the kiri tsuba matches a kiri design on the saya so I'll keep it as is.

Question........... which shishi goes to which side ?

 

 

milt

[Bungo]

4th pic ( shi2.jpg ) to pic 1 ?

 

milt

[Ford Hallam]

I believe the one with the mouth open is the female ( seriously ) and the other the male. Following the theory of in/yo ( yin/yang ) it would follow that the male be omote and the female be ura.

[Brian]

Hi Milt,

 

They always face the tsuba, so the shishi will be facing the saya (ignore the fact that one is looking back over his shoulder)

 

Regards,

Brian

[Bungo]

I believe the one with the mouth open is the female ( seriously ) and the other the male. Following the theory of in/yo ( yin/yang ) it would follow that the male be omote and the female be ura.

 

Can you clarify which pic of the tsuka is the omete ?

 

Thanks, Ford and Brian.

 

milt

[Brian]

Milt,

Omote is the side that typically has the mei (katana, tanto, wakizashi) and the ura has the date usually. Omote refers to the side facing outwards as worn. Note that the ura and omote on a tachi are on the opposite side.

 

Btw..great article as usual from Dr T: (Well worth a read) http://www2.una.edu/takeuchi/DrT_Jpn_Cu ... cement.htm

 

a) in case of an animal motif, the “heads” should be oriented toward fuchi while the “tails” should be oriented toward kashira;

 

b) in case of a plant motif, the “roots” should be oriented toward fuchi while the flowers, leaves or fruits should be oriented toward kashira.

 

[Note. The rule applies to menuki on both "omote (front)" side and "urau (back)" side.]

 

Of course, just like anything with Nihon-to, exceptions to this rule still do exist among antique koshirae. However, according to one of the most sought after koshirae-shi of the Showa period, Koichi Hirato (1994[1973]), the reversed orientations of menuki on some antique koshirae seem mostly due to the craftsman’s lack of knowledge of proper orientation...

 

Brian

[Brian]

Since I had a free 5 minutes before bed, and was in a photoshop mood... (No..not a good photoshop job, but a quick one)

 

Brian

[nagamaki - Franco]

the one with the mouth open is the female ( seriously

 

Well, honestly, Ford, it would be kind of difficult to expect it to be any other way.

[Bungo]

the one with the mouth open is the female ( seriously

 

Well, honestly, Ford, it would be kind of difficult to expect it to be any other way.

 

since this is MY thread, I can mug it up...............

 

By chance, have you click on the Guardian U.K. pictures link I posted a few days back ?

( somewhere on last week in Edo thread about Camorant fishing in Gifu 0.............. specifically picture # 7 0r 11, but I think it's 7.

 

 

milt

[Guido]

the one with the mouth open is the female ( seriously

 

Well, honestly, Ford, it would be kind of difficult to expect it to be any other way.

The open and closed mouth relates to "AH" (open mouth), the first letter in the Sanskrit syllabary, while "UN" (closed mouth) is the last letter - at least the guys have the last word!

[remzy]

i always wondered how they make the menukis stick in place without Ito to hold them, only by using traditionnal glue? (pine gum with turpentine or something) i wouldnt expect it to glue and hold for as long as 100+ years old but it seems it does!!!