Page 280 - JAPAN THE SHAPING OFDAIMYO CULTURE 1185-1868

with an allover hexagonal tortoise-shell Although subdued Muromachi-period- Tokugawa, is distributed over the entire
pattern, on top of which are gold menuki style koshigatana (cat. 180) continued to be length of the mounting, suggesting that it
with a dragon design, the whole then made, the sword mountings of the Mo- originally belonged to a daishd set; the
wrapped with brown silk cord. The kashira moyama period, reflecting the spirit of the short sword was probably lost during or af-
(pommels) and fuchi (metal collars) at ei- times, were often ornate, with the hilts ter the Meiji period. The hilt is covered
ther end of the hilts are made of gold- and sheaths covered with such materials with white rayskin and wound with light
covered iron. The smaller sword is fit with as rayskin or thin sheets of gold. Transmit- green silk cord, beneath which are placed
a kozuka (small knife) that is decorated ted in the Hosokawa family, daimyo of the hilt ornaments (menuki) with the holly-
with a high-relief depiction of a dragon. Kumamoto domain (in present-day Kuma- hock mon. The kashira (pommel) and fuchi
In the mid-Edo period many different moto Prefecture), this is one such exam- (collar) at either end of the hilt are deco-
methods were used to decorate sword ple, traditionally said to have been used by rated with gold high-relief hollyhock mon
sheaths. Here diamond-shaped pieces of Hosokawa Yüsai (1534-1610) and Sansai on a nanako (raised-dot) ground of sha-
rayskin are placed on the sheath, covered (1563-1646). kudd. Scattered on the sheath are holly-
with black lacquer, and then polished, re- The hilt is covered with a thin sheet hock mon in gold maki-e and shell. The
sulting in a pattern that suggests butter- of gold, patterned like rayskin; the sheath ring for the tying cord is horn. Both sides
flies. is covered with sheet gold in a hexagonal of the round sword guard hold the holly-
It was also common at this time to (tortoise-shell) pattern, each section filled hock mon in gold on a nanako (raised-dot)
take themes for the decoration of the with either a floral design or the kuyd mon, ground of shakudd, as do the kozuka (small
sword fittings from traditional Chinese the crest of the Hosokawa family. The knife) and kdgai (skewer) attached to the
narratives. The iron tsuba of the large kashira (pommel) and fuchi (metal collar sheath. HY
sword refers to the Tanxi tale from the Ro- on the blade end of the hilt) metal fittings
mance of the Three Kingdoms, in which on the hilt are decorated with high-relief 195 Katana mounting
Liu Bei of the Shu kingdom, riding the paulownia and kuyd mon, both in thin wood, lacquer, rayskin, leather,
horse called Dilu, was chased by his en- sheets of gold (iro-e) on a raised-dot copper, iron, horn
emy Cai Mao to the waters of the Tanxi; ground. Gold shishi, lionlike mythical length 93.0 (36 5/s)
miraculously, Dilu jumped the stream and beasts, form the hilt ornaments (menuki), Momoyama period, i6th century
Liu Bei was saved. This tsuba is engraved the work of a Goto school craftsman
Otsuryùken Miboku, the artist name used (cat. 215). A kozuka (small knife) attached Tokyo National Museum
by Hamano Shôzui, active from the mid to to the reverse of the sheath is decorated Important Cultural Property
the late Edo period, in his late years. The with a high-relief gold depiction of shishi
tsuba of the small sword is decorated with with peonies. HY This Momoyama-period mounting was
a depiction of Mencius and holds an in- owned by Yüki Hideyasu (1574-1607), son
scription that reads Eishun, the artist 194 Katana mounting of Tokugawa leyasu and daimyo of a do-
name used by the mid-eighteenth-century wood, lacquer, rayskin, shell, silk, gold, main in Echizen Province (part of present-
metalworker Nara Jôi during his earlier shakudd, horn day Fukui Prefecture). The hilt is covered
years. HY length 97.3(381/4) with black-lacquered rayskin and wrapped
Edo period, i8th century with brown leather. The kashira (pommel)
193 Koshigatana mounting Tokyo National Museum and the fuchi (collar on the blade end of and
the hilt) are made of blackened copper
wood, silk, shakudd, gold engraved with a zigzag "mountain road"
length 47 (18 Vz) The Tokugawa had this mounting made in design. The sheath is completely covered
Momoyama period, loth century the late Edo period for a famous tachi with red lacquer. On the iron tsuba, or
Watanabe Yoshio Collection, Tokyo blade that was forged by Ichimonji Suke- sword guard, are two oxen facing counter-
Important Cultural Property zane (active late thirteenth century) and clockwise, boldly sculpted in the round. HY
owned by the Tokugawa family of Kii
Province. The hollyhock mon, crest of the

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