b.hennick Posted November 3, 2018 Report Share Posted November 3, 2018 A recent thread had an okimono of a shiachi. They tend to be a quite rare subject for fittings. I thought that you might enjoy some iron shiachi menuki. 9 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TETSUGENDO Posted November 3, 2018 Report Share Posted November 3, 2018 Barry, very nice examples of an extremely uncommon subject! -S! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vermithrax16 Posted November 3, 2018 Report Share Posted November 3, 2018 Never seen anything like it! Thanks Barry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MauroP Posted November 5, 2018 Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 Here the same subject in a nice Shōami stuba: ... and one more signed Umetada Munetake: Mauro 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b.hennick Posted November 5, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 Thanks for adding images of these tsuba. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 5, 2018 Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 Hi Barry., It is possible that one depicts a male and the other a female, in the same way as the famous pair of Shachihoko 鯱鉾 which adorn the roof of Matsue Castle: https://www.matsue-castle.jp/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vajo Posted November 5, 2018 Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 I love them Barry. A couple of weeks ago a pair of these kind of dragon was sold on ebay for a high price. A complete fitting on a sword would look very nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kissakai Posted November 5, 2018 Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 I've never seen these before Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TETSUGENDO Posted November 5, 2018 Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 Hello All, Yes, probable Malcolm, Shachihoko are often depicted as male/female pairs like Karashishi! -S- 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mareo1912 Posted November 5, 2018 Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 Nice Menuki and Tsuba! Let's throw in one of my pieces as it fits Sadly no better picture on my phone... 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurikata Posted November 5, 2018 Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 Same topic.... Hizen School Tsuba 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vermithrax16 Posted November 5, 2018 Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 This is the best part about NMB; saw a motif I never had seen before and excellent examples provided by the group. Thanks for the pictures all. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirk marshall Posted November 6, 2018 Report Share Posted November 6, 2018 dragon fish fuchi kashira 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TETSUGENDO Posted November 6, 2018 Report Share Posted November 6, 2018 Not tosogu but a great example of the motif. 9 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b.hennick Posted November 13, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2018 I came across this image of a real dragon fish today: You can see the original here: https://twitter.com/rfedortsov/status/877952444105236480 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanB Posted November 13, 2018 Report Share Posted November 13, 2018 These creatures were supposed to be responsible for causing earthquakes I believe. Ian Bottomley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza Posted November 14, 2018 Report Share Posted November 14, 2018 Hi Ian and all, No, that was the NAMAZU, a catfish. Google it, but here is a direct link: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/history-of-geology/namazu-the-earthshaker/ BaZZa. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanB Posted November 14, 2018 Report Share Posted November 14, 2018 My mistake. Nevertheless an ugly enough critter to give me the wobbles. Ian 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surfson Posted November 14, 2018 Report Share Posted November 14, 2018 I am enjoying this thread. Here are some poor iphone photos of a fuchi kashira I picked up recently on ebay. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akumake Posted March 28, 2021 Report Share Posted March 28, 2021 I found this one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spartancrest Posted March 28, 2021 Report Share Posted March 28, 2021 The designs are found in Chōsen Gafu page 65. And this just turned up on Jauce auction. https://www.jauce.com/auction/s761390544 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spartancrest Posted February 10, 2022 Report Share Posted February 10, 2022 I have collected several images of Shiachi 'dragon-fish' guards - there would appear to be two types of this design. 1. with pearl above the mouth. 2. pearl in the mouth. From what I have seen those with the pearl above the mouth are likely cast copies or modern fakes. There may be exceptions. Shiachi should not be confused with Shiachihoko, Shiachihoko have the head of a tiger not a dragon or dragon-fish. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugyotsuji Posted February 10, 2022 Report Share Posted February 10, 2022 鯱 (魚 fish + 虎 tiger Kanji) can be read either Shachi or Shachihoko. Meanings: 1. Killer whale, orca. (Shachi) 2. A mythical creature, the symbol sometimes used for warding off disasters. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spartancrest Posted February 10, 2022 Report Share Posted February 10, 2022 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shachihoko Piers I don't know how the design could be confused with an Orca, the killer whale is a mammal and does not have scales. Not that these facts got in the way of early European explorers. I'll go with your second definition of a mythical creature. This 'Sea Pig' or 'Sea Swine' lived in the North Sea on Olaus Magnus’s 1539 'Carta Marina'. There are some striking similarities to the Shachi [or is it Shiachi?] I know of only one vertebrate that has more than two eyes [the Tuatara of N.Z.] I can't imagine what the three eyes on the animals flanks [both sides?] would be used for, or are they something 'different'?. Watch out this version can come out of the water! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugyotsuji Posted February 10, 2022 Report Share Posted February 10, 2022 Dale, it's Shachi (sounds like Shatchi or Schatchi). Old (Victorian) spellings may follow other Romanization systems of しゃち, such as Syati (perfectly readable to Japanese people today as Shachi). I puzzled over the diverse meanings and readings of 鯱 for many years, but at some point I just accepted the split. It is somewhat similar to the real and mythical readings of 獅 which in their Chinese carry the meaning of both a lion and a shishi 獅子, and 麒麟 kirin which means a giraffe but also the mythical creature you see on Kirin beer cans. If that helps at all.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spartancrest Posted February 10, 2022 Report Share Posted February 10, 2022 That is great information, Piers. It must get confusing when a symbol can mean many things- a bit like English in some respects where you need the context of the sentence, for words like '"seal" Noun. One of many types of fur-coated sea mammal. From Old English seol. Verb. To close something so that it cannot easily be opened. Related to the next meaning: Noun. A design pressed or stamped into a piece of wax to close or authenticate a document. From 13th century Old French seel.' [Getting very close to being I know] 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted February 10, 2022 Report Share Posted February 10, 2022 The emblem of Brighton, they are everywhere! 1 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spartancrest Posted February 10, 2022 Report Share Posted February 10, 2022 Ian they don't look happy. [neither would I, if I was twisted like that!] I think the Romans liked the design [they probably stole it from the Greeks] A guard going for auction now - https://www.jauce.com/auction/r1036158097 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRC Posted February 10, 2022 Report Share Posted February 10, 2022 I see this "dragon fish" fairly often in Nanban tsuba... I've got 17 image examples so far: the last one is papered... what does the NBTHK call it? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spartancrest Posted February 10, 2022 Report Share Posted February 10, 2022 (edited) Glen the first image from the D.Z. Norton collection. The Shachi cast copies have been around for awhile - found one mentioned from 1893 and another from [Tomkinson collection] 1908 get your own copy here! https://www.ebay.com/itm/203827909498 A little too pricey for my money. I should point out the Tomkinson image appears earlier in his collection in 1898 and resurfaced in the later article. [1908] Edited February 11, 2022 by Spartancrest new dates Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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