Kaneie Tsuba (1): Fishing Boat Design
A Kaneie tsuba certified as an Important Art Object. Held in the collection of the Tokyo National Museum.
The person fishing while pulling a net from a boat and the mountains are skillfully expressed using perspective. Perhaps because the surface of the tsuba was struck with a hammer to blur the boundary between the water surface and the land, creating an effect as if it were shrouded in mist, I cannot help but feel that a sense of grandeur and depth has been added to the picture.
In other words, one can feel a scene like the following through this tsuba.
Furthermore, the color of the iron has depth and luster. I cannot help but wish to hold such a tsuba with this iron quality in my hands someday.
By combining areas that are slightly raised with those that are not on the rim of the tsuba, it has an appearance that looks very pleasant to the touch, and I feel a sense of 'wabi' common to twisted-rim tsuba and Momoyama period tea utensils.
Looking closer at the picture, the roof of a pagoda is peeking out from behind the mountains.
This is also a composition often seen in Kaneie tsuba, and it is truly wonderful.
The mountains are also surprisingly detailed, with things that look like trees carved in with a chisel.
The figure is decorated with gold inlay.
Is the material of the hat silver? The kimono and even the boat are reproduced in great detail, and the waves are clearly carved, giving a sense of movement as if the boat were swaying.
Perhaps by crafting the things that appear close, such as the figure, in great detail, and not crafting the distant things like the mountains as much, the physical difference in distance is being expressed.
Kaneie tsuba have a thin seppa-dai (washer seat) and a thicker rim, but the seppa-dai is basically 3mm or less in thickness, with thin ones being 1-2mm (the one above is probably about 3mm). I hear that within that thinness, the figures and such are not carved by scooping out the surface, but are produced by fitting in separately made parts (I am not sure if that is the correct expression).
I hear that is the reason why Kaneie is called a master of superb technique.
By the way, I could not see the back, but looking at the 'Complete Collection of Important Art Objects', it is listed as follows. It seems that drying nets at the water's edge, rocks, and mountains are depicted on the back.
There is one other Important Art Object tsuba similar to this one.
This one also has a very similar composition.
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Well then, everyone, have a good sword life!
↓ The person writing this article (Sword Box Maker, Keisuke Nakamura)
I manufacture and sell display cases for swords with the concept of 'Living with Swords.'