Menu
AUCTION 45: ANTIQUE ARMS AND ARMOR
Lot 194:
The front of the tsuba refers to the five traditional oriental elements that originate from China and are called ?? (wu xing). These elements are water ?? fire ??. metal ??wood ?, and earth/ground ??Although the symbols on the tsuba are merely a mirror of the Chinese original dogma symbols, there are some meaningful differences. One may see ? (forest) instead of ? (wood), ??mountain/hill?instead of ? (earth/ground), and ? (wind?instead of ? (water). The two first exchanges are decorative and maybe just the Japanese interpretation of the Chinese tradition. What about the last exchange, I consider that the reason for it is the conflict between water and metal according to ‘wu xing’ studies. The fifth element which is metal should be represented by the blade which is why it is not depicted (cast) on the tsuba at all.
The backside of the tsuba explains the coherence between the elements and the sword. The sentence ???? on the top may be translated as "it is fast like the wind", and the sentence on the bottom ????? "it is steady like a forest". The left one ????? "Furious like a fire" and the right one ????? "immovable like a mountain".
10 7/8 x 9 3/4 in., (27.5 x 24.5 cm.)
Condition: Very good overall, some rust on the verso.
Share this lot:
