Page 275 - JAPAN THE SHAPING OFDAIMYO CULTURE 1185-1868

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182 Itomaki no tachi mounting 183 Kazaritachi mounting with white rayskin and has a row of orna-
wood, silk, lacquer, shakudd, gold, wood, rayskin, copper, gold, enamel, mental studs shaped like ta\vara (straw rice
silver, leather lacquer, leather bags) and menuki (hilt ornaments) with a
11 2
length 105.5 (4 / ) length 102 (40 !/8) paulownia mon. The sheath is decorated
Edo period, iyth century Edo period, early iyth century with a floral-scroll design of paulownia and
hollyhock mon in gold maki-e lacquer on a
Tokyo National Museum Watanabe Kunio Collection, Tokyo
nashiji lacquer ground. Along the sheath
The hilt of this classic early Edo-period ito- The kazaritachi, developed in the Heian are four gilt copper fittings with paulownia
maki no tac/zz"(cat. 181), covered with a gold period as a more ornate version of the crests and red and green enamel flower
brocade cloth, is wrapped with brown silk karatachi (Chinese sword) of the earlier motifs against an intricate nanako (raised-
cord. This same wrapping is also used on Nara period, was the most important dot) and openwork background. The tsuba
part of the sheath. Along the length of the sword used on ceremonial occasions at the is inlaid with green enamel.
sheath are many hollyhock mon, the crest imperial court. Kazaritachi mountings are Representative of the refined style
of the Tokugawa clan, in gold and silver characterized by the extensive use of and outstanding craftsmanship of the
maki-e and thin sheets of metal. The vari- openwork metal fittings in colorfully inlaid early modern era, this kazaritachi is said to
ous metal fittings distributed over the floral scroll designs, and by the prominent have been given by Emperor Go-Yozei to
sword are also decorated with the holly- "feet" with appendages to which the Tokugawa Hidetada (1579-1632), the sec-
hock mon in high relief thinly covered hanging straps are attached. The hilt is ond shogun, on the occasion of his being
with gold (iro-e) on a nanako (raised-dot) typically covered with white rayskin and awarded the court title seii tai shogun on
shakudd ground. Although its provenance punctuated with a row of ornamental the sixteenth day of the fourth month of HY
is unknown, the use of the hollyhock mon studs. As on the earlier karatachi, the tsuba the tenth year of Keichô (1605).
suggests that this itomaki no tachi was (sword guard) is made in the stylized shape
owned by a family with connections to the of a fundó (balance weight). From the Mo- 184 Kazaritachi mounting
Tokugawa shogunate. HY moyama period, members of the imperial wood, rayskin, lacquer, copper, gold,
court aristocracy used kazaritachi with a enamel, leather
slim, straight sheath that encased only a length 101 (39 3/ 4)
perfunctory blade; warriors with a court Edo period, late iyth century
rank, however, used one in which the
sheath was broad and arched to accommo- Takahashi Toshio Collection, Tokyo
date a practical blade. This kazaritachi mounting (cat. 183) has
The sheath of this example is some- the characteristic features of its type, such
what broad and curved. The hilt is covered

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