![]() Tsubas are made from a wide variety of metals including iron, copper (red) and its derivatives such as yellow copper, bronze, shibuichi, shakudô, rogin but also gold and / or silver. ![]() Their goal is to prevent the opponent's blade from slipping on the saber and cutting off the hand. Carvings became elaborate.Tsuba are the guards of Japanese swords (katanas, wakizashi, tantos). Horimono ( 彫物 : Engravings) - Bo-hi (single groove), Soe-hi ( Hi accompanied with a thin groove), Futasuji- hi (double narrow groove), Sanskrit, Tokko-tsuki ken, Tsume-tsuki Ken, name of God, and dragon.Ji-hada ( 地肌: An area between the tempered line and Shinogi -Soft look, large wood grain pattern, Ji-utsuri (faint smoke or cloud-like effect) shows.Midare is an irregular wave-like pattern. Boshi (Tempered line at Kissaki area ) -– Midare-komi, short turn back.from Sano Museum Catalogue (permission granted) Koshi-hiraita-midare mixed with Choji-midare. Tempered area is well balanced to the width of the blade. Hirazukuri-Wakizashi appeared during the Muromachi time. Hirazukuri-Wakizashi -–Hirazukuri means a flat surface with no Shinogi and no Yokote line. The width and the thickness are well balanced with the size of the sword. The length and shape are suitable for wearing between the body and the belt. Koshizori means the highest curvature comes at the lower part of the blade. The curvature is usually the Koshizori shape. However, Muromachi Katana is not as grand or graceful as the Heian period sword. The shape of the Muromachi period Katana is somewhat similar to the Heian period Tachi style. Sugata ( 姿 : Shape)- The average length is usually 2 feet and 3 to 4 inches (68~71cm). Shu-Mei (朱明 )-name written in Vermilion Kinpun-Mei (金粉名 )-–name lacquered in gold powder Gin-Zougan (銀象嵌 )-name inlaid in silver Kin-Zougan (金象嵌 )-name inlaid in gold Below are the classes (lower to highest). Which level it should be done is depending on the quality of the sword and how an owner wants it. When Hon’ami family (本阿弥家, a sword connoisseur family who have appraised Japanese swords for generations since the Muromachi period till today) appraised such a Suriage sword, they wrote the make of the sword and the swordsmith’s name on the front side of the hilt, and the connoisseur’s name with his Kaou (similar to signature) on the back. Once a blade is shortened that much, the inscription of the maker’s name is cut off. O-suriage is a kind of sword that is shortened by a great length. How much the sword should be shortened depends on the sword’s original length and how much the owner wants it shortened. O-suriage ( 大磨上 : Katana shortened by great length) The difference between Tachi and Katana comes from the way it was worn, not the length. Katana is longer than Wakizashi, and Wakizashi is longer than Tanto. The long one is Katana, and the short one is Wakizashi. Then it is classified as Katana.Īround the beginning of the Muromachi period, Samurai started to wear a pair of swords called Dai-sho (大小), meaning large and small. Therefore, when you see the inscription, the cutting edge comes on your left. The swordsmiths inscribed his name to face outward when it was worn. Yet, around the Muromachi period, a sword was worn between one’s belt, with the blade side up. When a sword was worn this way, the swordsmith inscribed his name to the side that faces outward, which means that the blade comes on your right when you see the inscription. Until the end of the Nanboku-cho period or the beginning of the Muromachi period, S amurai suspended swords from one’s waist, the blade side down. In general, the Muromachi period was the declining time for sword making. The Nanboku-cho style long sword became useless thus, they were shortened. Refer to Chapter 2 0|Muromachi Period History (室町時代歴史). The Muromachi period was a relatively peaceful and prosperous time until a little before “ Onin-no-Ran,” which happened at the end of the Muromachi Period. The red circle above indicate the time we discuss in this section
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