Strange Wak Saya

[drbvac]

I have the blade with this on the nihonto section but the saya is so odd I thought I would place is here for comments.

 

The rest of the furniture is not that special, menuki are squirrels, tsuba is sho-ami of a shitake mushroom, and fuchi kashira are a village scene (

 

[Mark C]

Hi,

 

I had one very similar to this and the inset objects turned out to be small shells, unsure which type. Thats all I found out, hope that helps.

 

All the best

 

Mark

[drbvac]

I did think they were cross sections of a snail shell, sliced thin and then inserted into the saya and lacquered over but what a pain it would have been!

[Mike]

I do not remember the exact definition of this, it is a part of a larger shell, and it functions as kind of a plug protecting the inside of the shell. It is being used as ornament in may cultures, and I have some of these that I picked up long time ago in Sinai beaches.

Mike

[Nobody]

I do not remember the exact definition of this, it is a part of a larger shell, and it functions as kind of a plug protecting the inside of the shell. It is being used as ornament in may cultures, and I have some of these that I picked up long time ago in Sinai beaches.

Mike

Maybe you are right. That looks like an operculum (name?) of a spiral shell.

[Mike]

This it, thanks.

Mike

[Martin]

In Greece they call it Mati tis Thalassas (Eye of the ocean) and it symbolizes good luck.