Glossary for Tsuba

A compilation of glossary's

’Õ - Tsuba Kanji

“–‹à
Ategane
A metal plug placed in the Kozuka or Kogai-ana. Also refered to as Ume ( –„ )
k–É
Chirimen
AA crape paper finish.
“yŽèލ
Dote-mimi
A rounded raised rim.
•¢—Ö
Fukurin
An outer rim cover on a tsuba, usually in Shakado, Gold or some other soft metal.
Œ` (Œ^)
Gata (Kata)
This means Shape, Maru Gata is Round Shape.
Guri-bori
A welding of layers of copper and shakudo which is then carved to give the impression of a carved laquer.
Hikone-bori
The original style of carving of the Soten school. It is a combination of low relief, line carving, some shishiai, detailed iroe inlay and elaborate openwork.
•½
Hira
The Surface of the Tsuba.
ŸCŒŠ
Hitsu (-bitsu ) -ana
Hole in the guard to accomodate the Kozuka and Koagai. Looking form the front, the Kozuka hole is on the left side and the Kogai hole is on the right.
Iro-e
Colours like gold and silver pasted or burned onto the carved metal plates.
Ishime-ji
Grain or veins suggesting a stone surface.
’n‹à (S“S)
Jigane (Shingane)
The basic metal or base metal of a tsuba.
’n“§
Ji Sukashi
An open work method in which most of the iron of the flat body is removed to create the outline of a shape or shapes..
‰eŠG“§
Kage-Sukashi
Negative silhouette used in the Ji-Sukashi method.
ŠÇލ
Kan-mimi
Thicker rounder raised rims. ( note; Thicker and rounder than Dote-mimi )
Špލ
Kaku-mimi
A squared rim.
Š™‘q
Kamakura ( tsuba )
Thin Katchushi type sword guards dating from the late Muromachi period. The scenic motifs are created by shallow relief carving.
Kata-kiri-bori (one-sided carving)
This technique uses a chisel with a tip like that used in woodworking to draw lines of varying thickness and depth.
–Ñ’¤
Ke-bori (line carving)
Hair-thin line carving of consistent depth and width. A chisel slightly rounded leaves a U-shaped line: maru ke-bori.
Keri-bori (kick carving)
This method uses a chisel with a flattened, thinner tip; a corner is allowed to rise and 'kick up', in contrast to ke-bori lines. The resulting marks are very delicate wedge-shaped triangular dots.
â ŸC
Kôgai-bitsu
The hole for the Kôgai at the right of the tsuba.
¬“÷Špލ
Koniku-kakumimi
A slightly rounded square rim.
¬•¿ŸC
Kôzuka-bitsu
The hole for a Kôzuka on the left side.
¬“§
Kô Sukashi
Small open work design. Kô literally means small.
ŠÛލ
Maru-mimi
A rounded rim.
–Á
Mei
The tsuba smith's signature carved into the surface of the guard, usually beside the nakago-ana.
Mekki (or tokin)
Plating. Thin layers of gold or silver cover the surface of another kind of metal through the medium of mercury. The gold or silver will peel off with rubbing.
Migaki-ji
Polished surface.
ލ
Mimi
The Rim of the Tsuba
–؉Z
Mokkô
Lobed shapped.
•¶“§
Mon-Sukashi
An openwork method mainly used in Ko-Tosho and Ko-Katchushi sword gaurds. Shapes are pierced in negative silhouette into the flat body of the guard. The image is defined by the removal of the iron from the base.
އŽâ
Murasaki Sabi
The patina of iron that has a grey-purplish colour.
•ŠÛ
Nademaru
Oval shapped
•–؉ZŒ^
Nade Mokkô Gata
Lobed shapped on an oval base
’†SŒŠ
Nakago-ana
The hole in the center of the guard that passes over the tang of the sword.
Nanako-ji
Literally 'fish roe'; dome-shaped dots produced by a hollow punch in concentric or straight lines.
Nikuoki
The subtle variation in the treatment of the surface of a tsuba, particularly through hammer work.
‰žm
Onin ( tsuba )
A sword guard on which the base plate is decorated with dot and line brass inlay.
‚¨‘½•Ÿ
Otafuku
Diamond Shapped
—¯Žç
Rusumoyo
Part of a design that is missing and left to the imagination.
Ó‹à
Sekigane
A filler of Copper or Lead to to make the fit between the Tsuba and the Nakago snug.
؉H
Seppa
Washers that are used for packing and can also decorate the front and back of the tsuba .
؉H‘ä
Seppa Dai
A flat base around the tang hole which seats the Seppa ( washers ). Seppa are set on both sides of the tsuba.
Ô“º
Shakudo
An alloy comprising of copper and small amount (1.5-10%) of gold. Polished, it is a rich blue-black to purplish-blue with a wonderful lustre.
Shibuichi
Alloy of copper and silver. Patinates to a dark gray.
Žd“ü•¨
Shiiremono
lterally means "received commodity" and stands for mass produced items with a "brand name", In Tosogu it generally refers to tsuba and fittings made just after the Meiji Restoration ( 1867/68 ) and sold to tourists on the docks at Yokohama and Edo. These fittings are mostly low end but there are some better examples found.
Shinchu
Brass (alloy of copper and lead or zinc). Another name is o-do (yellow copper).
”’‹àŽt
Shiroganeshi
A smith working in gold, silver or soft metal alloys.
Shishiaibori
A relief carving below the level of the main ground of the piece.
Suaka
Smelted copper (cf.yamagane or non-smelted copper).
˜–ä(Û›Æ)
Suemon ( suemon-zôgan )
High relief brass inlay.
“§’Õ
Sukashi tsuba
Iron sword guards with openwork. There are two types. Mon-Sukashi and Ji-Sukashi.
Sukashibori
A sort of sculpturing in the round, generally applied to iron tsuba where the design is a positive silhouette.
Sukidashi-bori (relief engraving)
This technique involves engraving along the outer edge of a metal design, to give lines depth. The decoration itself is left untouched as the entire background area is carved away, so the decoration stands out in relief.
èSÕ
Tagane Ato
Literally 'punch marks'. These refer to the punch marks left around the tsuba's Nakago ana to help facilitate at tighter fit of the tsuba on the sword.
Takabori iroe
The design is modeled in high relief in a metal different from the tsuba's main body and is decorated with the inlay of other metals. There are three methods: uchidashi, sukidashi, suemon.
“Sœ
Tekkotsu
Mixtures of iron of different qualities produce distinct texture variations that are visible to the rims of the guards. There are three main variations are fine, granular and linear.
’Õ
Tsuba Japanese Sword Guard
’Æ–Ú’n
Tsuchime Ji Hammer marks on the surface of a tsuba. A surface that has a hammered appearance.
‘ŕԎ¨
Uchikaeshi-mimi
A bevelled raised rim. One of the typical features of Ko-Katchushi guards.
˜rŠÑŒŠ
Udenuki ana
Two small holes at the bottom of a tsuba to pass a cord through.
–„
Ume
See Ategane above
ÄŽè
Yakite
A method of finishing iron sword guards. A guard is heated to high temperature and then allowed to cool gradually. This method reveals the iron bones ( Tekkotsu ). Note: Yakite is also known as Yakinamashi Ä‚«“Ý‚µ.
Yakitsuke ('burned-on')
A gilding technique which was generally accepted in the late 16th c. and became the mainstream of iro-e in the Edo period. Thin chips like gold and silver are tied with wire to the surface and attached by heat.
ŽR‹à
Yamagane
Unrefined Copper. This copper was made in times when the refining process was not as good as it is now. Other impurities are mixed in. The colur is deeper than modern Copper.
—z“§
Yô Sukashi
Positive silhouette used in the Ji-Sukashi method.
Û›Æ
Zôgan (see below)
Zo = 'form' and gan = 'inlay'; 'zogan' means inlaying one metal into the surface of another.
Gomoku-zogan
"Dirt inlay" in which brass wire is applied at random.
Hira-zogan
Inlay which is polished flush with the tsuba's surface.
Ito zogan
(line zogan, also sen zogan): After lines have been incised, wire-thin metal is inlaid.
Kiribari zogan (cut-out inlay)
Design cut out of a sheet of one kind of metal is inlaid into surface of another kind.
Nunome-zogan ('cloth' inlay)
The surface of an iron tsuba is covered or hatched with intersecting cuts. A wire or foil inlay is then tapped or burnished into place.
Shippo zogan
Colored vitreous enamels are melted into the recesses cut for them in the surface of the tsuba.
Suemon-zogan
A decoration carved of a metal which is different than the surface it is mounted on.
Sumi zogan
"Ink inlay". The tsuba ground is chiselled and in the course of polishing the inlay becomes united in such a way as to look like an ink painting beneath the surface of the tsuba.
Taka zogan
An inlay which is __ and is carved.


 

Major Tsuba Ryuha (schools)

Ô”ö
Akao
–¾–í –¾’¿
Myôchin
Ôâ
Akasaka
–¾–í‹I
Myôchin Ki
ˆ¨
Aoi
ғӯ
Nanban
”õ‘O—^Žl˜Y
Bizen-Yoshirô
“Þ—Ç
Nara
•B
Bushû
¼Š_
Nishigaki
’·B
Chôshû
M‰Æ
Nobuiye
‘åŒÜ˜Y
Daigorô
‰žm (œäm)
Onin
‰z‘O
Echizen
ӚգҤ
Owari sukashi
—Ñ
Hayashi
‘‰³
Saotome
ӓ΋
Higo
³ˆ¢–í
Shôami
•½“c
Hirata
H“c³ˆ¢–í
Akita shôami
•½ˆÀéÛ›Æ
Heianjô Zôgan
‰ï’󈢖í
Aizu shôami
•Fª’¤@“T
Hikone Bori Sôten
”õ‘O³ˆ¢–í
Bizen shôami
–@ˆÀ
Hôan
ŒÃ³ˆ¢–í
Koshôami
ˆÉ“¡
Ito
‹ž³ˆ¢–í
Kyô shôami
‰Á‰ê
Kaga
‘‰³—
Saotome
‹¾Žt
Kagamishi
‘”•¿Žq@“T
Soheishi Sôten
‰Á‰ê—^Žl˜Y
Kaga-Yoshirô
@“T
Sôten
Š™‘q
Kamakura
“V–@
Tempo
‹àŽR
Kanayama
“y²–¾’¿
Tosa Myôchin
‹à‰Æ
Kaneiye
“y²
Tosa
b™hŽt
Katchûshi
“ 
Tôshô
‹L“à
Kinai
–„’‰
Umetada
‹àH
Kinkô
–ö¶
Yagyû
ŒÃ“ 
Ko Tôshô
ŽR‹g
Yamakichi
‹ž“§
Kyôsukashi
ŽR‹g•º
Yamakichibei
…ŒË
Mito
—^Žl˜Y
Yoshiro

The above glossary and schools listing is compiled from Nihonto Kanji Pages, Copyright 2006 by Richard Turner and other glossary's that are extremely helpful. Shibui Swords.



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