How old is Ana ?

[Rich T]

Hi all, well as a few you know, I recently picked up this excellent Ko Tosho tsuba last week and as I have it now in my hot little hands, a question arose from reading Jim Gilberts thought's on the guard.

 

 

http://home.earthlink.net/~jggilbert/oldiron.htm

 

Jim brings forward the idea that, while it is widely considered that tsuba of this age were free of any hitsu at the time of their creation, and that any kozuka or kogai hitsu ana seen on very old tsuba are a later addition. While this is most likely true in many cases, there are some that believe, and I am one of them, that there must have been some tsuba with hitsu ana. Kozuka for example are well documented in the Kamakura period and perhaps even before this time, as are kogai. Surely there must have been some tsuba then that were able to accommodate these accessories.

 

The book Ko Kogai features for example the following item, and it is attributed to the early Kamakura period.

 

 

Sasano and Torigoye both suggest that Ko Tosho works may date as early as the Heian period, and were certainly about in the Kamakura period. I have also seen example of Kamakura period kozuka.

 

If then, we have tsuba, kogai and kozuka all existing at the same time, is it not possible then that at some point, they must have at least come together in one form or another (tsuba/kozuka or tsuba/kogai) ? or were these types of Uchigatana koshirae for foot soldiers only, and they were either not wealthy enough, or of too low a status to wear such finery.

 

I wonder if there are any documented koshirae earlier than the mid Muromachi period in Japan, or in shrines that may lend more light to this.

 

I look forward to others opinions on this matter.

 

Cheers

 

Rich