Zōgan rats...

[Yves55]

And another new one:

Iron tsuba with silver and golden rats.

Dimensions: 6,53 x 6,07 x 0,54 cm
Weight: 112 gr.

 

Never seen before... Anyone?

 

[Kanenaga]

 

Les

[Spartancrest]

Yves, I have seen a similar guard to yours with the subject being horses [sorry I can't find it just yet] very much like the outlines mixed with solid representation and in the silver and gold. [this is not what I am looking for but similar]

Mice or rats are a popular theme.

 

[Spartancrest]

Coincidence, one with horses is listed for auction. No silver though.   https://www.jauce.com/auction/l1037860408

[roger dundas]

Dale- do you think recently made , the metal looks fresh to me ?

Roger j

[Spartancrest]

Hi Roger - just speculation but it looks recently 'cleaned'. Too aggressively at that- looks like half was done with steel wool? Lucky they didn't get into the nunome.

[Yves55]

Yes Dale!

That's what I mean with "Never seen before... Anyone?"

Thanks!

   

[Grevedk]

While you have fun as mice - eating the “Samurai’s” rice 😎

/Soren

[Spartancrest]

Soren please don't use my own books against me -   You could have used the front cover, that book needs all the publicity it can get! 

[Spartancrest]

Yves, I am still looking for some rats/mice like your design  - no sign yet but if I  mention the word 'unique' they would come out of the woodwork. I will continue to look but your piece is 'not common' by any means. [I rather like tsuba with rodents myself!]

[Bugyotsuji]

I think most Samurai were too poor to have mice in a rice store, unless they had moved up the social ladder, but merchants certainly certainly did; rats and mice were a symbol of wealth, their presence being seen as evidence of plentiful rice. They also acted as rusu-moyo, indicating Daikoku whom they allegedly served.

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=Daikoku+mice&oq=Daikoku+mice&aqs=chrome..69i57j33i160l2.3728j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

[Spartancrest]

"Wealth implied by its absence" - is how I have been told the theme of rats amongst the rice can be viewed. No obvious signs of prosperity but the rats imply an abundance of food, enough to have 'pests'.  If you were poor = no rice and no rats either!

[Bugyotsuji]

What did the mice say when they discovered there was no rice in the house?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Rats!"