Page 274 - JAPAN THE SHAPING OFDAIMYO CULTURE 1185-1868

J78

179

180

gane (metal fitting covering the pommel) hilt entirely, a fashion that continued into brocade, to which were fastened menuki
takes the shape of a shishi, a mythical lion- the Muromachi period and which is typi- (metal ornaments) with the family mon,
like animal, and the fuchi kanagu (metal fied by this ornate example. The wooden and the whole was then intricately
collar at the blade end of the hilt) is cov- hilt is covered with silver, over which is wrapped with brown or purple silk cord.
ered with a peony design; along the length laid an extensive gilt copper openwork The same cord was continued on the up-
of the hilt are hammered decorative peony weave with high-relief chrysanthemums. per part of the sheath, and leather and silk
studs. All the metal hilt fittings are gilt The wood sheath is covered with gilt cop- hanging straps were attached.
copper. The silver-covered wooden sheath per given the appearance of rayskin and In this mounting, handed down in the
is overlaid with a gilt openwork floral-scroll metal fittings with high-relief and en- Uesugi family, daimyo of Yonezawa (in
and peony design, and the long edges are graved chrysanthemums. A gilt copper present-day Yamagata Prefecture), and
gilt rimmed. The chains are attached to dragon-and-wave design is depicted on the probably given to them by Toyotomi Hi-
"legs" decorated with the peony design in kozuka in high relief and engraving, while deyoshi (1537-1598), the hilt is covered with
high relief on a nanako ground. The blade the kdgai is decorated with a ruler and gold brocade and wound with brown silk
contained within this mounting, not bracken sprout design. HY cord; the cord is continued onto the
shown in this exhibition, is far removed sheath. The sheath is covered with amber
from practical use. HY lacquer sprinkled thickly with gold parti-
181 Itomaki no tachi mounting
wood, silk, lacquer, shakudd, gold, cles; this kind of lacquer ground is called
180 Koshigatana mounting leather nashiji (pear-skin ground), for the ruddy
wood, silver, gilt copper length no (43^4) speckled pear that it resembles. Against
1
length 42 (16 /2) Momoyama period, early iyth century this ground, on each side of the sheath,
Muromachi period, 15th century are seven paulownia mon in maki-e lac-
Sword Museum, Tokyo quer. The metal fittings are also decorated
Tokyo National Museum Important Cultural Property with paulownia crests, crafted in high re-
lief and thinly covered with gold using the
The koshigatana, a short sword worn at Ornate itomaki no tachi were produced
the waist usually without a sword guard, from the end of the Muromachi period. iro-e technique on a nanako (raised-dot)
was carried in combination with the slung Daimyo used swords of this type for cer- shakudd ground. Not included in the exhi-
sword, or tachi. The length of the blade emonial purposes, as rewards or gifts, and bition, the Kamakura-period steel blade
varies from 25 to 35 centimeters (10 to 13 3/ 4 as dedicatory gifts to temples and shrines. normally in this mounting was made by a
inches). The typical mounting features ex- The itomaki no tachi characteristically had swordsmith of the Ichimonji school of
tensive metal fittings distributed over its metal fittings of shakudd (or sometimes Bizen Province. HY
length. Sometimes short swords were fit- gold) decorated with family mon (crests)
ted with a kozuka (small knife) and a kdgai on a nanako (raised-dot) ground. The
(a skewerlike implement carried in special length of the sheath was decorated with
pockets on the side of the sheath). From the same mon and with auspicious motifs
the late Kamakura period, the reinforcing such as paulownia and phoenix in maki-e
metal fittings on the hilt came to cover the lacquer. The hilt was covered with rich

261