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Saya finish - whats it called?


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Hi all,

 

I have an unusual saya and would like to know if anyone knows what it is called please. I am guessing it is pine needles (?) that were all cut to the same length and then painstakingly arranged/glued in the pattern we see, before lacquer was applied and finally rubbed back..? The look and texture of the saya is amazing. 

 

Any assistance would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

post-2085-0-68556000-1584076254_thumb.jpgpost-2085-0-44975100-1584076162_thumb.jpgpost-2085-0-70844300-1584076204_thumb.jpg

 

Barrie.

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Nice find, Barrie! I have to admit that I haven't seen the exact same technique before.

 

I think it's a variant of shuroge-nuri 棕櫚毛塗. Often referred to as "pine needle lacquer" in the West, it’s actually fan palm (shuro 棕櫚) fibers; pine needles would be too stiff and brittle to work with, and rot easily.

 

The fan palm is very common in Japan, even in non-tropical areas; as a matter of fact, there’s one right in front of my apartment.

post-12-0-03657800-1584154425_thumb.jpg

 

The fibers are traditionally used for brooms and brushes.

post-12-0-97336900-1584154457_thumb.jpg

 

They are also chopped up, strewn into wet lacquer, and polished flat.

post-12-0-33960400-1584154480_thumb.jpg

 

Here’s a close-up of a saya of mine, shuroge-togidashi-nuri 棕櫚毛研出塗:

post-12-0-24925000-1584154503_thumb.jpg

 

I therefore would call your saya (tentatively) ishimeji shuroge oshidashi nuri 石目地棕櫚毛押出塗: “raised pattern palm fiber on stone surface lacquer”.

 

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Thank you Guido for clarification on the material. This shuroge-togidashi-nuri has been called horse hair in the US forever. I have told people it was plant fibre but it seems they prefer to call it horse hair. I once did a small restoration and used fibers from a sisal mat which were quite similar in appearance.

The saya work in the OP may be one of a kind, as I suspect it took one god awful amount of time. The maker probably never wanted to do it again.

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Hi Guido,

 

Thank you for your explanation. I am most grateful and very appreciative. I like koshirae anyway, but this saya was different.. As Tom stated, it must have been a devil to apply - but I am guessing - once applied (and cured), the final product could then be 'worked' back to obtain the final even surface and shape.. It looks like Kusune to me (in the triangle hollows), but is probably black ishimeji, as you say.

 

Thanks again..

 

Barrie.

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