tansu
tansu
This tsuba from the Goto School seems to be of late eighteenth-century workmanship. “The field is interestingly broken into patches of nanako (a texture on the surface of the metal), which suggest clouds and a river bank, and the center portion is sculptured in a formal presentation of waves with breaking crests in relief of silver. The subject, which is one of the most popular motives in Japanese art, is also the theme for the noted drama, “the Battle of Gojo Bridge.” The participants in this combat were Benkei, a boisterous priest, and Toshitsune (1159-89), the most deeply beloved member of the famous Minamoto family and a brother to Yoritomo, the founder of the Shogunate. This incident occurred when Yoshitsune was but a youth and known by the name Ushiwaka (“Young Ox”), it is said, had been trained in fencing by the Tengu, a bird-like spirit, and in his agile movements, leaping from post to rail, he kept the cumbersome Benkei at arms length unil he defeated him. Benkei threw down his eight weapons and won over by admiration, became a faithful retainer of Yoshitsune following him in all of his exploits and battles.

The youthful figure of Yoshitsune, armed with his sword, is here to be seen poised for a moment on the rail of Gojo Bridge, which the artist has made in relief of gold. Yoshitsune’s garments are of shakudo and gold worked out in great detail, even to the high, black-lacquered clogs (geta) which are realistically sculptured in shakudo. Four of Benkei’s weapons, and axe, a hammer, a pitchfork, and a long-handled saw, like upon the ground. On the reverse there is a pine-tree in relief of shakudo with golden needles” (Gunsaulus 1923:65).

The Goto school of metal working was established in the late fifteenth century, it continued to be an important group of metal workers until the eighteenth century without becoming known for making tsuba, mainly because the family did not make them except as personal favors or to present to the Daimyo (lord). In the early part of the eighteenth century Goto Tsujo broke with family tradition and began to produce large numbers of tsuba, the family and school soon became well known for their beautiful and well made tsuba. The family/ school is also well known for being the first to use chasing in relief to decorate sword furniture, as well as most likely being the first school to use softer metals and alloys for sword fittings, and perfecting and creating styles of backgrounds for sword furniture (Okabe-Kakuya 1909:35-37, Gunsaulus1923:60-61).

Shakudo (literally “red copper”) is a metal alloy that was invented and used exclusively by the Japanese. There are fifteen grades of Shakudo, all are primarily copper with an inclusion of at least four percent gold, and oftentimes small amounts of other metals. When cast, Shakudo is a dark copper color but it is most often treated with a boiling or “pickle” solution which results in a rich, velvety black color with a violet sheen (Gunsaulus 1923:35-36, Rucker 1924:xxiii-xxiv).

(Commentary by Rob Nalewajk)

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