Jim P Posted September 6, 2011 Report Posted September 6, 2011 Hi All, I was reading Kokan Nagayama's book not long ago and thought I know what a kinzogan mei is usually, but I have not seen the terms sasa no Tsuyu,or hana gatami, before only the post by Toryu (Sasa no tsuyu BTW that,implies that this sword cuts thru targets as easily as dew falls from the young bamboo leaf (sasa) how is this title given, and by whom ? also for hana gatami, Its under Mei in the book e,g ( kinzogan mei sometimes on inlay is seen that is not the name of a smith this is usually a sword title for example sasa no Tsuyu or hana gatami ) can this be the only inscription or is it always with a attribution of a smith ? thanks, Quote
sanjuro Posted September 7, 2011 Report Posted September 7, 2011 Hi. Swords such as the Kogitsune Maru or the Kogarasu Maru were first coined by the swordsmith (we ssume). Apart from those names inscribed on a sword, (some of which may have been added long after the blade was forged) most sword names are not conferred by the smith but by subseqent owners. The kitsunegasaki sword for instance was named so after it was used in the battle of the same name. The third day Moon sword was so named because of its resemblance to the thin crescent of a third day moon. Sasa maru was so named because of the bamboo theme of its mountings. The O Tenta was so named because it was thought to be the greatest work of that swordsmith. Honda Tadakatsu's lance the Tombo Giri, was named as a reference to its sharpness. The Daihannya sword was so named after the Daihannya sutra when its value was set at 600 kwan (the daihannya sutra is six hundred verses). Swords become associated with events and are named after them, and they also become generally known by a certain name, although that name is seldom inscribed on the blade in question. They are more often than not merely 'pet' names that an owner has given them, or for some historical association either real or imagined, with which they are identified. The nihonto is a fetish as well as a work of art as well as a weapon. Being the constant companion of its owner, they can become referred to by a name as a sort of term of endearment or as a respectful reference. In none of those examples I have given was the name of the sword conferred by the swordsmith, or for that matter inscribed on the nakago of the sword in question. As with all things nihonto, its never as straightforward as you might like it to be........ Quote
Guido Posted September 7, 2011 Report Posted September 7, 2011 Most Japanese swords are named in order to distinguish them from other blades made by the same maker, or, in other words, for ease of reference. This was done in the majority of cases by putting the name of the (original) owner in front of the sword smith's name, or by using the prefix "Ō/Dai" (大 = big), indicating the best sword ever forged by that individual smith. Other swords were named after a certain characteristic they displayed, or incident they were involved in. Those names are often followed by the suffix "kiri 切" (cutter), "maru 丸" or "gō 号". "-maru" is used traditionally for names of boys and swords, and both "-maru" and "-gō" also for naming ships. The suffix "-maru" is an indication that the sword was named in regard to its Koshirae, but there are - as always when it comes to Nihontō - exceptions. Quote
Jim P Posted September 7, 2011 Author Report Posted September 7, 2011 Thank you Keith,Guido, For the excellent explanations as Nihontō books can be a bit vague at times Quote
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