Jump to content

Yagu guard or just a guard from Yagu the village?


Spartancrest

Recommended Posts

I just purchased a small Tanto tsuba, the dealer described it as coming from the village of Yagu not far from Nara.

I have seen many Yagu 'Bell' design guards and this is also described as Tsurigane [bell] shaped which it is not.

To my eye it is in the shape of a Saké bottle, even down to the pouring spout, I have another image that is described as Wakizashi sized and in the shape of a 'rice bag' [both descriptions wrong]

Would anyone hazard a school or style of this guard and could anyone steer me in the direction of the European auction house of the similar design? The dimensions given by the auction of the one I bought are suspect [I don't believe the thickness is only between 1 & 2 mm]

Thanks for any assistance.

image.thumb.png.25a35174ccdba4f87da27fd402418569.png            image.png.789f390b3731abf1c57235bcbde81d3a.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well thank you very much Thomas, that image is spot on. Having a second look at the spout of most Saké bottles and the other tsuba image I am now inclined to think the spout is supposed to represent a chipped or cracked top - it may well represent getting a bit merry and breaking the bottle? [the hazards of drink?]

Yagu or not is really not that important to me I just love the odd shape.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

While Diakoku is occasionally depicted on sake bottles, in all of these three cases above (the two tsuba and the bottle shown by Thomas), the god depicted is Hotei.  You can tell by the large, bare belly (a sign of Hotei not Diakoku).  In addition, Hotei is the patron god of bar tenders, so that is why he is most often the one depicted on sake bottles.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's amazing! After looking at tsuba, somewhat obsessively, for going on 40 years now I was beginning to think perhaps I'd seen most types and designs....and then this pops up :laughing: And like buses, not just one.

It's a brilliant concept,  I can just imagine a Samurai putting on his 'drinking tsuba' before going out on the lash on a well earned night off. I need one now, myself. :glee:

 

And how about a matching pair of menuki?

 

https://www.aoijapan.com/menuki-mumei-sake-bottle/

F17506.jpeg

  • Like 3
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 7 months later...
  • 1 month later...
This thread is quite old. Please consider starting a new thread rather than reviving this one, unless your post is really relevant and adds to the topic..

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...