Randal Posted June 20, 2010 Report Posted June 20, 2010 These menuki are on a sword I have. One seems to have lost it's gold color while the other one seems to be fine. Also one has a lot more detail than the other. Is it normal for sword to have two different menuki on the handle? Is it old / new? I'm still new to this area of edged weapons and would grateful for any help or info. Randal. Quote
nagamaki - Franco Posted June 20, 2010 Report Posted June 20, 2010 Hello, The "Kirin" menuki was likely originally colored black like shakudo, not gold. Menuki can sometimes differ from each other, especially when the subject matter is associated with a story or folklore, am not sure that is the case here. Difficult to say much more without seeing in hand or the backs. Quote
watsonmil Posted June 20, 2010 Report Posted June 20, 2010 Dear Randal, The one Menuki depicts a " Kirin ", .... a Mythical animal, while the other depicts a " Tiger ". The qualiy and style of work are quite different, .... and are therefore mismatched. This is not terribly unusual to find on tsuka. One or the other may have at one time been lost or damaged and simply replaced with a menuki that was handy. I know of no reference where the Kirin and Tiger share the same story in Japanese folklore. The Kirin is an auspicious omen, heralding peace and prosperity. The Tiger symbolizes one of the dual forces , .... the dragon rules over water, and the heavens, while the tiger rules over the wind and earthly things. He is sometimes depicted with a Hatara Sonja , a bandit hero who supposedly killed a tiger ( which I think your one menuki may represent ). ...... Ron Watson Quote
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