説明

Title: Kiyosada-style, Kumo ni Ameryu Zu Description According to the certificate, this Tsuba’s maker is attributed to Kiyosada (清定). Kiyosada did well in Sendai (仙台) area in the late Edo period. He moved to Edo and learned under the Omori family. He was good at making Shakudou Tsubas with inlay decorations. About the design, the theme is the Kumo ni Ameryu Zu (雲に雨竜図). It is a combination of Ameryu (雨竜) and clouds. The Ameryu, also called the Amaryou, is a kind of dragon who controls the rain. It is believed that the Ameryu would make rain in the proof when God is blessed. A theory says an Ameryu is the young figure of a dragon. This creature has been thought to be a small spirit who lives in forests. As mentioned above, their appearance has a similarity to a dragon. That is why they are sometimes depicted with a charming look compared to other types of dragons. Moreover, snake worship was common in Japan because the serpent has a deep relationship with the water god faith. It might be the reason why Japanese people love the Ameryu pattern. Clouds bring rain and snow, and their movements significantly affect the day’s weather. Due to its supernatural power, a theory says that gods, spirits, and dragons dwell in the clouds. Also, as mentioned above, clouds are related to the Ameryu. Understandably, these motifs are designed together in works, as you see in this Tsuba. Initially, the dragon is an imaginary creature found in ancient traditions or myths. Furthermore, it is regarded as a symbolic beast of auspicious signs. Its body is likened to nine animals: antlers are deer, the head is a camel, eyes are demons, the neck is a snake, belly is the Mizuchi (蛟, a mythical animal in Japan that looks like a snake and has a horn and four legs), scales are fish, claws are falcons, palms are tigers, and ears are cows. It was thought that the dragon would reign at the top of all animals because of its odd-looking appearance. The dragon design is often seen in sword mountings. Dragons and Ameryu, we guess both motifs were highly favored among Samurais because of their auspicious images. *As this item is an antique, please check each photo and ensure its condition. What is Tsuba? Tsuba is the hand-guard of the Japanese sword. High-class Samurai wore his katana sword with its beautiful sword mountings such as Tsuba. Tsuba’s front design tends to be more decorative as this part was often seen by other Samurais when he was walking on the streets. Why is it that the sword mounting was important for Samurai? The sword mountings of the Japanese sword have many kinds of decorations such as handguards (Tsuba), sword hilt (Menuki), pommel (Fuchi Kashira). The Japanese sword worked as a weapon and as an object to show who he was. For example, it shows their personalities and beliefs. You could say that it is like decorations for smartphones today. We recommend you zoom in on the pictures of the sword fittings. When you do so, you can see the skill of Japanese metal engraving techniques. They are mainly made of iron and copper with inlays of gold, silver, and bronze. When it comes to handguard (Tsuba), each one has a different outline and weight. These sword fittings that have lived with Japanese swords of the same age might be worth as much as the Japanese swords. They are inconspicuous parts of the Japanese sword. Nevertheless, if you are knowledgeable or particular about it, you will become a connoisseur of the Samurai. Authentication Paper : NTHK Kanteisho Certificate NTHK, also known as NPO Nihon Touken Hozon Kai, is the oldest organization for sword authentication of Japanese swords in modern times. It was established in 1889 during the post-Samurai era. They authenticated the Tsuba on Apr 17th in the fourth year of Reiwa (2022). The purchaser will receive this original certificate as well. We can also translate what is written into English and make a PDF file for your record if you request. 【About us】 Samurai Museum is located in Tokyo, Japan, e