Page 281 - JAPAN THE SHAPING OFDAIMYO CULTURE 1185-1868

196 197

196 Sword guard
iron
diam. 9.3 (35/8)
Muromachi period, early loth century
Fukushi Shigeo Collection, Tokyo

This mid-Muromachi-period iron sword
guard, carved in the round with an open-
work design of a rinbo, can be said to re-
flect the Buddhist faith of the warriors.
The rinbo design typically consists of eight 198
swords, radiating out like the spokes of a
wheel, through a lotus-shaped ring, which
also symbolizes Buddhism. This sword
guard has, on either side of the tang hole, 198 Sword guard 199 Sword guard
openings through which the kozuka (small iron iron
knife) and kdgai (a skewerlike implement) diam. 8.9 (3 v*) diam. 9.2 (35/8)
would be passed. HY
Muromachi period, loth century Muromachi period, loth century
197 Sword guard Tokyo National Museum Tokyo National Museum
iron Owari tsuba were a type of iron sword This iron tsuba is decorated with a broad
l
diam. 10.5 (4 /s) guard made from the end of the Muro- openwork design of a vertical bow and two
Muromachi period, mid-i5th century machi period through the Edo period in horizontal arrows; two geese are in flight
Kishida Eisaku Collection, Gunma the province of Owari (presently part of at the top and a roll of bow string can be
Prefecture Aichi Prefecture). As reflected by this well- seen at the bottom. Until the mid-
known example, the iron typically had fine fourteenth century, the bow and arrow
Probably crafted by an armor maker in the color and the distinctive designs were exe- were the warrior's primary weapons, and
mid-Muromachi period, this iron tsuba is cuted in openwork. Here a single crab fac- from the Kamakura period, when the
thin with a hollow rim. On one side of the ing to the right is depicted, the right claw Minamoto clan took control of the coun-
tang hole is a three-story pagoda and on large and the left one small. When the try and implemented warrior rule, they
the other crossed sickles, both in skillfully tsuba is worn, the crab faces away from were offered to Hachiman shrines, such as
executed openwork. The sickle probably the wearer's body. HY the one at Iwashimizu south of Kyoto, in
represents a sharp sword and the pagoda a veneration of Hachiman Daibosatsu, the
memorial to warriors who died in battle. HY patron god of the warrior. The bow and ar-

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