Yet another Yagyu

[Okan]

Hello all,

 

I’d like to share the latest addition to my collection, which recently arrived. Exhibited at the NBTHK Museum in 2014 and published in the exhibition book "Kurogane no Hana."

 

 

[ROKUJURO]

Okan,

that one looks really solid! I like it!

[Curran]

That is a pristine beast.

Given that it was displayed at the NBTHK Museum, are you able to find its providence?

I have the strong feeling this was owned by someone historically important.

 

 

[Okan]

@ROKUJURO Thank you Jean!

 

 @Curran I'm working on it! 

 

 

[Steve Waszak]

Excellent acquisition, Okan.  Very powerful design.  Congratulations.  Would love to see this in person some day.  

[Curran]

3 hours ago, Curran said:

That is a pristine beast.

Given that it was displayed at the NBTHK Museum, are you able to find its providence?

I have the strong feeling this was owned by someone historically important.

 

 

 that should have read 'provenance'.

I too hope to see it in person some day.

[lonely panet]

Sasano books coming out when i finish work. 

 

[Toryu2020]

A beautiful piece - I wrote the following years ago...

 

三角、三星三角 Sankaku and Sansei Sankaku - Triangle and Triangle and Stars. One of the first teachings in the Yagyu Shinkage Ryu is the Sangaku, three schools (teachings). In addition, students are told to keep in mind the three elements of posture, sword and arms and legs. There are also Jo, Ha and Kyu. These correspond to introduction, action and conclusion, a thought taken from Noh which may apply to a single form or technique or whole series of actions. Among other teachings, there are the “three beats,” also from Noh, and the three “tricks.” As Sankaku means three angles or triangle and is a homonym for Sangaku, I believe this brings to mind all these threes. Mitsuyoshi said that his grandfather was unique in that he refused to write things down. Insisting upon direct instruction, he would demonstrate a single form or idea and then spend the whole of the day explaining the myriad interpretations of that one form. In that view, I think you’ll find there will be a number of interpretations for each of these designs and none will be a “right” one.

[Toryu2020]

I wrote this after the excellent book Yagyu Shinkage Ryu Kyohon came out in 2004, this is a rough translation...

 

1.     Sanma – This first design is familiar to all and one that is often copied. A triangle of equal sides within a circle and three small circles at the point of each angle. In the beginning of the book Yagyu Heiho Kaden-sho, there is mention of “Sanma no kurai”, this design harkens to this teaching and  the three principles of Narai, Keiko and Kufu. Narai means teaching, instruction and represents your learning, and all the teachings of those before you. In order to make these teachings a part of your blood and bones you need Keiko. Keiko is practice, you need practice in order to remake yourself. There is the saying “Sentan Senren” or 1000 forgings, 1000 practices. Tanren means to forge, we use this as a term in discussing the forging of swords but it also means to forge or to harden oneself through discipline and hard practice, but the discipline in Yagyu swordsmanship is no ordinary discipline so we say “Sentan Senren!” What then is the result of this practice? It is a study that you pursue with your whole body and soul. Further you call upon your creativity and ingenuity to help get you to your goal. Thus the third principle is Kufu or shugyo, in which you seek within yourself to create a true spirit of independence, a true self. Within the circle keep seeking a state where all three are in balance, all three are one. This is described in the motto “to win today over yourself of yesterday.” Sanma is thus a symbol of lifelong practice, lifelong shugyo. (Note this design is also known as Sankaku Sansei, “three sides and three stars”.)

[Iaido dude]

Congratulations, Okun. Marvelous and mysterious.

[Okan]

Thank you all for your nice comments!

 

@Toryu2020 Excellent writing—thank you for sharing this! Sansei Sankaku, as you know, is a well-known design. But this particular example is a hexagon, yet still classified as a triangle by the NBTHK. Any thoughts on why?

 

And there’s also a sketch of the design in an old Yagyu book, but without any explanation. 

 

Thank you 

 

 

 

[ROKUJURO]

Okan,

the three tips of the triangle have been replaced by the small balls/spheres.   

[ROKUJURO]

The basic design: 

[Okan]

@ROKUJURO 

 

Dear Jean,

 

Thank you. I’ve already collected most of the designs published in the old books. They also include a version with three circles or spheres and a triangle, so I was curious why they chose to use a hexagon in this case.

Of course, It may just be different interpretations of the same teaching.

 

Also, I should mention that the tsuba you shared was created by our talented Manuel Coden (a.k.a. @C0D) 

 

 

[Winchester]

A privilege to view, Okan, thank you. I really enjoy the power, balance and iron quality, exemplified in this piece.

[Spartancrest]

15 hours ago, Okan said:

versions with three circles or spheres and a triangle

 

[Soshin]

On 5/1/2025 at 2:24 PM, Curran said:

 that should have read 'provenance'.

I too hope to see it in person some day

 

 

The funning thing is I read it as "provenance" and not "providence" on your original post. Regardless it is a completely valid point made by @Curran about establishing the provenance of such a Yagyu tsuba apparently being part of such a high-profile exhibit by the NBTHK. I raised this same concern with @Okan when he contacted me about this Yagyu tsuba via private message.

 

Here is a NBTHK Hozon tsuba with a triangle and circle design that was the basis of Manuel Coden's (a.k.a. @C0D) utsushi-mono. I know because I commissioned Manuel Coden to make the tsuba for me in 2020. I use it for my training in Yagyu Seigo Ryu Batto. Legitimate utsushi made by modern sword fittings artists are more common than many people think with Yagyu tsuba with classic designs in my opinion.  

 

         

[myochin]

Very nice tsuba Okan, thanks for sharing the pictures.

There was a short write up on this tsuba in ToBi #704

[Tim Evans]

In  1993  a group of Yagyu Shinkage Ryu instructors  visited  New York  City giving lecture-demonstrations at the  United  Nations, and the Japan Society and at Ken Zen Dojo. The visitors included  the current  (21st)  headmaster of the school,  Yagyu  Nobuharu.  The other  demonstrators  included Ikenaga  Koichiro,  Ban  Yasuyuki, Hirano  Yoshiaki,  Suyama Yasuo, and Kitahara Masashi.  This  was their first time in the USA.

 

Yagyu  sensei  gave  a  lecture  before  each  demonstration  and answered  questions afterward. These were translated by  Yonekawa Yoshinobu.

 

One comment from the lecture: Yagyu Nobuharu Sensei said: "Imagine that we draw a big circle with three even dots. At the top is the first point, correct teachings. The second dot is practice and the third is invention. This circle represents infinite movements and it represents the way of practice in Yagyu Shinkage Ryu."

 

Yagyu Sensei was not speaking specifically about tsuba, but was relating the teaching to a lecture audience. It is remarkable, however, that the image he uses is identical to the sangaku-en tsuba design.
 

RE: the provenance of the OP's tsuba. Bob Haynes made a hand drawn copy of the the Yagyu design book while he was a student of Dr. Torigoye in Japan. I believe this was published by the NCJSC some time ago. This design is listed as number 103, but no additional notes for size or ownership. 

[Soshin]

20 hours ago, Tim Evans said:

In  1993  a group of Yagyu Shinkage Ryu instructors  visited  New York  City giving lecture-demonstrations at the  United  Nations, and the Japan Society and at Ken Zen Dojo. The visitors included  the current  (21st)  headmaster of the school,  Yagyu  Nobuharu.  The other  demonstrators  included Ikenaga  Koichiro,  Ban  Yasuyuki, Hirano  Yoshiaki,  Suyama Yasuo, and Kitahara Masashi.  This  was their first time in the USA.

 

Thank you @Tim Evans. My teacher Dr. David A. Hall learned at the Yagyu-kai in Tokyo in the 1980s under Yagyu Nobuharu the 21st headmaster of the Yagyu Shinkage Ryu. My teacher remembers training with Koichi who later became the 22nd headmaster of the Yagyu Shinkage Ryu and who was adopted into the Yagyu family and formally assumed the leadership of the ryu after Nobuharu passed away in 2007. My goal training in traditional Japanese martial arts is to become the best evil ronin in a jidaigeki film history and have the most spectacular onscreen death seen ever in Japanese cinema.