Sword Carvings

History of Sword Art & Carvings

It is indisputable that the Japanese artist or art-artisan is the most conscientious in the world. He loves to expend the finest and most patient effort upon the least conspicuous portions of the object he ornaments, partly because loyalty to his art dictates such a sacrifice of labour, and partly because he thus enters a kind of noble protest against any suspicion of decorative ostentation which the beauty and richness of his work might otherwise suggest. That habit of craftsmanship is well illustrated in sword-furniture. The delicacy of chiselling and infinitely careful finish betowed on every detail delight the connoisseur as much as they astonish him.

Admirable as is the netsufa-carver's work, the art of ground covered with fish-roe (nanako} diaper—that is to say, very small granulations like the roe of a fish. It was formerly a point of etiquette not to wear, on occasions of ceremony, swords of which the kozuka and kogai were without the fish-roe ground. Those having the ishime (stone-grain) ground or the ji-migakii (polished ground) were not considered suitable for such occasions. But among the works of the later iye-bori there are many that have not the nanako ground. It is to be observed that the fucbi and the kashira are not included in the rule.

Note — The fucbi and the kashira do not properly belong to the class of sword " ornaments," being, in fact, essential parts of the mounting. They form with the sefpa and the babaki inseparable elements of the mounted sword. The term nanako is derived from the resemblance that the microscopic granulations bear to fish-roe. In the language of old Japan, " fish" was called na, and this with the suffix ko (egg) made the compound na-no-ko, or nanako.

None of the early representatives of the Goto family {iyebori} made a business of carving anything but kozuka, menuki, and kogai. Only from the time (1570-1631) of Tokujo, the fifth representative, did they occasionally sculpture fuchi, kasbira, and tsuba. Specimens of their work in these latter lines are very rare, and should be correspondingly prized. In recent times it is occasionally found that a gold crest (coat of arms) originally chiselled on a kozuka or kogai of old make has been detached and fixed on the fuchi and kashira, or on the fuchi alone, or on the tsuba; and in other cases gold-plated crests or incised designs have been newly attached to, or cut on, the original ground. Such objects are very rare, nor would devices of the kind have been employed by the masters except in compliance with orders that could not be disobeyed.

There can be little doubt that the Japanese took this idea of "fishroe " granulations from Chinese porcelain. One of the most admired tours de force of the Chinese kcramist was a glaze completely covered with tiny granulations which he compared to millet seed. Crackle of the finest and most regular character was known in the Middle Kingdom as " fish-roe " crackle, and these much esteemed grounds must have inspired the nanako of Japan.

It is a saying of the philosopher Amamori Hoshiu that " in art there are four grades, the inferior (heta), the skilled (kosha), the expert (jozu), and the master (meijin)" and that " the same classification applies to the conduct of the gentleman." In such wise, also, may be distinguished the merits of carvers. Adopting that principle in compiling this work, I have divided the carvers of sword-furniture into three ranks. Natural talent combined with the skill acquired by long practice constitutes the " master," who stands at the highest point of his art. Next comes the " expert," concerning whom, however, a triple subdivision must be made : namely, the expert who ranks next to and immediately after the master ; then the expert who, though originally of " inferior" ability, has nevertheless by zealous and patient effort developed the skill which ought to be the aim of every student ; finally, the expert who by conceiving and executing some attractive novelty, obtains the passing plaudits of a curious public, but whose works ultimately lose their charm and stand revealed as unworthy of lasting admiration. All artists that do not rise to the rank of " master" or "expert " may be classed as "common." There are certainly gradations among these last, but the sum of the matter is that they belong to the " inferior" order and are persons of vulgar endowments. In every art the idea is first conceived, and the hand thereafter moves in obedience to the mind. The loftier the mind, the nobler the execution. An artist who produces inferior work should be ashamed rather than proud. The connoisseur of art objects must apply the same principle in forming his judgments. Nobility of mind, absolute impartiality, and entire disinterestedness are the three essentials of a sound critic.

The old-time carvers set out by learning from their masters how to handle the chisel, and when they had acquired skill in the technical processes, they made their own designs and sought to develop a special style. Thus, even those that did not rise to the level of " experts " often produced works showing skill, force, and graces of composition. So degenerate, on the contrary, are modern carvers that if they find an old work of fine quality, they carefully copy it by taking an impression. But their unskilled use of the chisel easily betrays them, for their execution is invariably prolix and awkward. None the less when, after long toil and much pain, they have succeeded in carving, polishing, and colouring, they fondly imagine themselves great artists, and with consummate silliness inscribe their names on these productions, pointing the finger of scorn at other sculptors. It is with the carver as with the painter. The good pictorial artist, after acquiring a thorough knowledge of the uses of the brush as taught by his master, copies many fine old pictures and studies them earnestly, so that, when he comes to paint independently, he has always before his mmd's eye a model showing the inimitably exquisite points of the great chefs-d'oeuvre of the past. But he never prostitutes his natural talent so far as to make slavish imitations. Thus every touch of his brush is eloquent of original talent, and the true critic cannot fail to detect the merits of his work. Very different is the practice of the " inferior" painter. His solicitude is almost entirely about the motive of his picture, scarcely at all about the brush-work. He is not versed even in the rudimentary art of using the " charred stick " (yaki-fude) to change the scale of a drawing, or to alter the shape of the figures. He prefers to make tracings of old pictures and to reproduce them with elaborate accuracy. There are not a few of these imitators, and the connoisseur, whether of painting or of sculpture, must needs be on his guard lest he deceive others as well as himself.

One naturally supposes that men like Joi, Somin, Toshihisa, Yasuchika, and other masters, who, by giving birth to a glyptic style of their own, achieved world-wide fame, and whose doors were thronged by eager applicants for their productions, must have amassed much wealth. But it is impossible for a man to be great in art and mercenary at the same time. The common craftsman, as he bends over his task, is for ever estimating the wage it will bring. Thus the taint of covetousness is inevitably transferred to his work, constituting a feature which becomes more and more repellent as time goes by, and finally banishes the specimen to some degraded shop of a dealer in old metal. The true artist, though conscious that he toils for a living, has his recollection of the fact effaced by love for his work. At times he will lay aside his chisel for months if he finds that his heart is not in his work. When the inspiration arrives, however, he becomes so completely absorbed in his task that he cannot bear to lay it aside, day or night, until it is finished. There is vitality in the result : it is surpassingly good. But if the question of gain be considered, it is found that although the productions of the master fetch a high price, the profit to him is not as great as that accruing from inferior work quickly executed and cheaply sold. The poet Basho says, " Pity it is that the sbira-uo (a tiny riverfish of silvery transparency and almost colourless) should have a price." A great artist is injured when the price of his work is discussed: it should be above price. Business men would do well to lay this precept to heart: " Only to accumulate gold and silver is to be their slave." The true aim should be to develop an extensive trade and to achieve a great career, just as the artist cherishes and strives for the reputation of his art rather than of himself.

The chefs-d'oeuvre of the thirteen Goto masters as well as those of other celebrities are, for the most part, treasured as precious heirlooms in the families that possess them. They seldom come into the hands of the dealer. On the rare occasions, however, when one of these gems does pass into a merchant's keeping, some one is always charmed by it, and has a great mind to buy it, but cannot readily persuade himself to pay the price, and so asks the dealer to let him keep it for a time, during which he privately consults the opinions of other dealers as to the proper figure. That man's chief aim is to come into cheap possession of a great work, and happily he is almost always disappointed. He does an injustice to the work. The nobility that gives greatness to an artist's efforts, the quality that brings genuine success to the trader, the appreciation that enables us to acquire fine objects of virtu, — these things are inaccessible unless the mind be set upon a high ideal. Sometimes valuable masterpieces are found among specimens supposed to be common, and a fortunate discovery is called " unearthing a treasure " (horidashi}. The discoverer boasts of it, but if he had true elevation of mind and refinement of taste, he would be above such pettiness. It is the luck of the mere trader.

MISCELLANEOUS REMARKS

Fugitive references to the fact that swords have been more or less ornamented from ancient times are found in old records, and it is said that some learned antiquarians claim to have information about the matter. But it is exceedingly difficult to ascertain the exact circumstances relating to the origin of the ornaments known under the general name kodogu (small furniture). Doubtless they were suggested at the outset by some idea of utility. It is only possible to state here the views embodied in mediaeval annals and entertained by scholars of modern times. In old families of artists and among persons that give professional instruction in polite accomplishments many opinions have been handed down traditionally. Sometimes these opinions are kept mysteriously secret, but of course they become known at last, and then too often they are found to be conflicting or to be based on some silly theories about the " Five Elements " of Chinese philosophy.

MENUKI (rivet-nut)

The menuki was originally a species of "nut" into which were inserted the ends of the rivet (mekugi) used for attaching the haft of the sword to the hilt. Thus the menuki not only held the rivet in its place, but also covered its ends (vide the learned Hakuseki's treatise on arms and armour). But in later days the mekugi and the menuki became quite distinct. An old-time poet writes: " Whose son is he, girding on a sword with silver menuki, that walks the streets of Nara city ?" from which it may be inferred that the tachi (curved sword) of the Nara epoch (eighth century) had sometimes silver ornaments. Again, in the Annals of the Kamakura Era, mention is made of an "ox-shaped menuki" but nothing is said of its material or of its maker. The menuki chiselled in high relief, as used in the present day, is supposed to have been first made by Goto Yujo (1439-1512), but whether there were any such before his time is not known. Tradition affirms that before Yujo's era there lived an artist called Ichikawa Hirosuke, who, working with three kinds of chisel only, originated the decorative sculpture of sword ornaments as it is now known. However that may be, the world certainly recognises Yujo as the father of the art. Possibly the natural pride of the Goto family is in some degree responsible for this fact, but their pre-eminent achievements have silenced too close scrutiny into dates. It is beyond question, however, that so far as the menuki are concerned, the idea of giving to them various shapes according to the fancy of their owner was already in vogue during the time (1334—1573) of the Ashikaga SKoguns' sway in Kyoto, and continued to be in fashion until the menuki became objects of artistic rivalry. Whether anything of the kind existed in China is not known.

KOZUKA (dagger)

It is not certain when the kozuka first came to be carried in the scabbard of the companion sword (wakizashi). In the Taira Annals (Taihei-ki) there is a description of the assassination of Prince Oto by Fuchibe, chieftain of Iga (1335 A.d.) : " Drawing the katana of the companion sword, he plunged it twice into the heart of the prince." The katana here mentioned seems to have been the present kozuka. . . , On the whole, it may be concluded that the custom of carrying the kozuka in the scabbard of the short-sword had its origin in the Ashikaga era (fourteenth century).

KOGAI (hairpin)

The word kogai is another way of pronouncing kamikaki (hair comb.) There is ample evidence to prove this, as well as to show that the kogai was actually used in old times for combing the hair. When helmets were worn, the hair naturally became dishevelled, and the kogai consequently became an essential of the warrior's equipment.

FUCHI KASHIRA (Rinc And Tip)

There is no explanation of the custom which commonly groups these objects together and speaks of the fuchi-gashira as though they were necessarily associated. They are essential parts of the sword, and though now highly ornate, they cannot be properly classed as sword ornaments.

TSUBA (guard)

This term is derived from the name of a kind of cottonspinning spindle which had a ring fixed on it. The tsuba of course existed from a very ancient epoch. It is mentioned in annals compiled in the eighth century, and is often spoken of as neri-tsuba (wrought-iron guard). The sword of Takauji, preserved at Atago-san, has a guard of wrought iron, and in the Taira Annals (Taihei-kf) gold guards are referred to.

Sometimes a specimen which does not bear a name indicating that it belongs to the class of either iye-bbri (carvings of the principal Goto family) or domyo-bori (carvings of the branch Goto families), but which is nevertheless of such fine workmanship as to suggest that it came from a master's chisel, is sent to the Goto family for inspection, and returned with a written statement, "found inferior on examination and not identified by us." The dealers call such specimens " rejects " (nagerareshi), and it is said that the Goto experts put a chisel mark — the gimmi-tagane — on all these pieces, so that they can be at once recognised if submitted again for examination, but where the mark is placed the family never divulges.

The double kbgai (wari-kogai), which is usually decorated with carvings of a plum-tree and a brushwood fence, or of bamboo, flowers, and plants, generally goes by the name of tayukogai, because its reputed originator (Kahei) became a skilled singer and received the musical title tayu.

In the chiselling of the fish-roe ground (nanakd) slight differences are observable between the works of the artists of Yedo, Kaga, Kyoto, Awa, and so on. A good judge of carving must be familiar with these differences, but it is useless to attempt any written description of them.