Going Bananas

[Spartancrest]

Has anyone noticed that there are designs of banana leaves found on tsuba [and no doubt other tosogu] but as far as I can find not the fruit? [the fruit is inedible]

The Japanese banana plant [Muso Basjoo] [originally from subtropical China] was used for fibre production (bashōfu (芭蕉布, "banana cloth)) and made into products like hand-knotted carpets, tablecloths, kimono and paper.

Exactly why it appears on tosogu though eludes me? 

 

[vajo]

First Tsuba is sago palm.

[Spartancrest]

Chris can you send the Walters an email - museums are sick of hearing from me! 

Most won't even reply - some museums can't be wrong. Actually either that is a huge snail or a very small plant! 

Seriously you should try contacting them.

[vajo]

My fault Dale. I took a deeper look on the picture and its banana. I was to fast with the first view 😃

 

Its a snail on the banana leaf. The Artist cuts the rips of the leaf so deep that it looks like a sago palm. But the trunk shows it's a banana.

[Curran]

Japanese like their poetry. Basho and his banana tree.

https://seetheworld.travelforkids.com/poet-basho-haiku-tokyo/

 

[Spartancrest]

Chris - - It is still a bloody big snail on that leaf. Might have got off a boat from Africa?

This one looks cuddly - NOT.  

[John A Stuart]

A Frenchman's dream. John

[Spartancrest]

I found this extract from an article dating to 1889

 

The Portfolio;
by
Philip Gilbert Hamerton.
published 1889

SOME Japanese SWORD-GUARDS. 

"More rarely we meet with the leaves of the banana or plantain ; amongst many thousands of guards which we have examined four only were decorated with the majestic foliage of this tropical plant. The best of these, the work of Naokatsu, is represented in fig. 2 ; the reverse of this piece, though equally fine and free in treatment, is quite different in the arrangement of the material."
A. H. Church.  

 

I cannot explain why the article was ascribed as by Philip Hamerton then signed by A.H. Church? It was Church's tsuba used in the print [same guard as above now in the Ashmolean museum]  As the article states only four examples were known, I cannot believe these are the four already seen in museum collections - surely others exist in private hands?

 

 

[suketaka]

@John A Stuart

[Nicolas Maestre]

On 2/11/2022 at 9:23 AM, John A Stuart said:

A Frenchman's dream. John

Ha ha 😂 

While I love snails (I'm French) I would definitely not be able to eat this one 🤢😅

[vajo]

Dale this is Garry! The snail from Sponge Bob.

This one looks very cool.

[Spartancrest]

[Spartancrest]

Late find - once again from the distant past. -

Tadamasa Hayashi collection, 1902.

 

"137. Iron guard chiselled and openwork. Banana tree.
Primitive style of the Bushû. 16th c."

On 3/11/2022 at 10:51 AM, Spartancrest said:

"Amongst many thousands of guards which we have examined four only were decorated with the majestic foliage of this tropical plant."   A. H. Church

 

Well this makes FIVE so can someone let A. H. Church know? 

[Spartancrest]

A. H. Church needs to get on-line and explain how come he doesn't know what is in his own collection? 

Number SIX.

http://jameelcentre.ashmolean.org/collection/7/10237/10399  

 

Tsuba with banana palm (EAX.11185), Bequeathed by Sir Arthur H. Church, 1915.

 

Another here in the National Gallery of Victoria [Australia] but I am not totally convinced  -  https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/explore/collection/work/52213/

[zanilu]

Here is another one, and a large one too. Dimensions: 102 mm x 96.4 mm, thickness 3.5 mm at seppa-dai, 5.0 mm at mimi.

NBTHK Kisho certificate and Toen Sha certificate.

 

 

Regards

Luca

 

 

 

[GRC]

That's a really nice one Luca, I really like the realism of the leaves and the resulting free-form tsuba shape, and the creative udenuki-ana at the bottom.

 

Are the three drilled circles at the top, some sort of constellation motif? They don't seem to fit with the rest of the design, but they make it more visually appealing (to me) by balancing out the positions of the other, more naturalistic, piercings.

 

Also, what are the attributions from the two sets of papers?

 

Thanks.

[zanilu]

Glen 

 

Here are the papers for my tsuba with the best translation I was able to provide (if you have comments please do not hesitate)

 

 

鑑定書
Kanteisho
Certificate of Appraisal

 

一つ 芭蕉葉文鐔
Hitotsu Bashōba Mon Tsuba
One Banana leaf composition tsuba

 

無銘 (正阿弥)
Mumei Shōami
Without Signature Shōami

 

鉄地 変形 鋤出彫
Tetsu-Ji Kawari-gata Sukidashi-bori
Iron Ground Irregular Shape Sukidashi-bori

 

右は當協會に於て審査の結果特別
保存刀装具と鑑定しこれを証する
Migi Wa Tō-Kyōkai Ni Oite Shinsa  No Kekka, Tokubetsu Hozon-Tōsōgu To Kantei-Shi Kore O Shō-Suru
Examination by this organization has  resulted in the decision that the item  to the right is a sword fitting that is extrodinary worthy of preservation

 

昭和 五十年 四月 三十日
Shōwa Gojūnen Shitsu Sanjūnichi
Shōwa, 50th Year, 4th Month, 30th Day (30th April 1975)

 

財團法人日本美術刀劍保存協會
Zaidan-Hōjin Nihon Bijutsu Tōken Hozon Kyōkai
The Society for Preservation of Japanese Art Swords

 

[. . . ] 殿
[. . . ] Tono
[. . . ] Mr.

 

 

鑑定書
Kanteisho
Certificate

一つ 露玉透し芭蕉の鐔

Hitotsu Tsuyutama Sukashi Bashō no Ha Tsuba
One Dew Drop Sukashi Japanese Banana Leaf Tsuba

 

銘無銘 (塚田直鏡)
Mei Mumei (Tsukada Naoaki)
Signature Without Signature Tsukada Naoaki

 

変り丸冊土 両櫃(鉛埋) 芭蕉葉の 高肉彫露玉透し
Kawari maru-satsu tsuchi Ryō hitsu (namari uma) Bashōba no takanikubori tsuyutama tōshi
Irregular shape body Two hitsu-ana (lead plugged) Japanese banana leaf high relief carved dew drops transparency

 

右は審社に於て審査の結果上二作 と鑑定｜認定書を交付する
Migi Wa Shin-Sha Ni Oite Shinsa No Kekka Kamini-Saku To Kantei Nintei-sho O Kōfu Suru
Examination by this organization has resulted in the decision to the issue of a certificate for the item on the right

 

昭和 五十一年 三月 七日
Shōwa Gojūichinen Sandtsu Sanjūnichi
Shōwa, 51st Year, 3rd Month, 7th Day (7th March 1976)

 

刀苑社審査委員會委員長村上孝介
Toen Sha Shina-i Kai In Chō Murakami Kosuke

Chairman of the Judging Committee of Toensha Murakami Kosuke

 

[. . . ] 殿
[. . . ] Tono
[. . . ] Mr.
 

The Toen Sha certificate seems to identify the sukashi as dew drops ...

 

Regards

Luca

[Bugyotsuji]

Bashō, or Japanese ‘banana’, as they sometimes have banana-like fruit.

(I have a Netsuké in this design!)

 

The leaves and roots were used in Chinese medicine as an antiseptic and to help urination.

 

The leaves were also used in family Mon/Kamon in different configurations like bashō-domoé, daki-bashō and hitotsu-ori-bashō.

 

 

14 x 4 cm

 

[Spartancrest]

Thanks to Luca's example No. 7 [fantastic!] 

We now have No. 8 found in the Princeton University Art Museum  [No. y1930-124] - https://artmuseum.princeton.edu/collections/objects/19409 

it is a close utsushi to the San Diego Museum of Art's example in the first post [1928.25.28]

 

   "artmuseum.princeton.edu." 

[Spartancrest]

What are the thoughts on this one - banana or some other plant? What a difference when the lighting is varied.

Nunome close up 

[Spartancrest]

 

Number 10 - a current auction, it is described as 草図 [grass drawing] but that looks very strange grass!  https://www.jauce.com/auction/1065349129

The design is very similar to the previous [perhaps someone was looking over his shoulder]

 

 

[Spartancrest]

  https://www.jauce.com/auction/n1109718497   or  https://buyee.jp/ite.../auction/n1109718497    Mitsumasa Hagisumi, Choshu

 This makes three of this design - are all of them utsushi? How do we know which if any are the "original" piece? [it is a difficult question to answer most of the time I think]

[Soshin]

This tsuba was once in my collection and sold via my business back in 2018. I was thinking it was the work of a later generation of Jingo School.