ecovolo
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Post by ecovolo on Oct 13, 2011 22:07:07 GMT
I was looking for historical precedents for skull-and-bones imagery on katana. So far, the web has produced this (Warning: pic heavy):  Note that the website says these fuchi/kashira are reproductions of originals    a link: www.nihonto.com.au/html/tsu371_skull_tsuba.html . . . and this, which is supposedly a repro-- I haven't seen the original yet:  . . . it's found on Rittersteel's katana. Any others out there? --Edward |
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ecovolo
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Post by ecovolo on Oct 13, 2011 22:11:59 GMT
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Post by SwordLord on Oct 13, 2011 23:02:48 GMT
MFA is dangerous. They have photos of thousands of tsuba and koshirae, kozuka....you can get lost for a long time staring at them.  |
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Post by SwordLord on Oct 13, 2011 23:18:10 GMT
Note the skull on the three eyed figure. Creepy tsuba. Attachments:
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Post by nihontoman on Oct 13, 2011 23:28:07 GMT
yeah, they may be creepy, but I still like them... also, iirc, skulls in Japanese culture were viewed a little different than the rest of the world...
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ecovolo
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Post by ecovolo on Oct 13, 2011 23:36:07 GMT
[/attachment]
Note the skull on the three eyed figure. Creepy tsuba.[/quote]
*Very* creepy. How old is it? If it's an antique, it's in incredible shape.
--Edward
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Post by SwordLord on Oct 13, 2011 23:48:50 GMT
Not specific. Says 19th century. Totally a presentation piece. Never mounted just displayed. Still looks great for 200 years old.
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Post by zentesukenVII on Oct 14, 2011 0:24:10 GMT
Wow swordlord, thats one of the nicest quality pictures I've ever seen on the internet. that tsuba is really something, it just pops out at you. ecovolo are you going to be making a skull themed sword by chance? It would be an awesome theme. I'm sure you've seen the tsuba on the peace katana by Bugei. It's a cool mokko shape and personally I like mokko shaped tsubas the best.
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ecovolo
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Post by ecovolo on Oct 14, 2011 5:23:07 GMT
A skull-themed katana? I wish  . It wouldn't happen for at least another tax return or two. The reason why this came up is, there's a thread in the Cafe' about the worst swords out there, and one that was mentioned was a katana with three skulls where the habaki should be. It got me to thinking that if that fantasy piece of junk exists, what were the *actual* historical skull/ skull-and-bones-themed koshirae for katana. Hence, this thread. --Edward |
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Post by Adrian Jordan on Oct 14, 2011 6:47:50 GMT
Guaranteed, the Samurai with the skull themed Katana wore TapouT shirts. He also got drunk all of the time and constantly shouted things at his longtime friends like "COME AT ME, BRO!!!"
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Post by Student of Sword on Oct 14, 2011 8:57:32 GMT
You are right. Skull and bones have specific Buddhist theological meaning -- primary the impermanence nature of life.
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Post by Neovenetar on Oct 14, 2011 11:25:50 GMT
 This one (which has already been linked here) reminds me of bleach for some reason... |
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. It wouldn't happen for at least another tax return or two. 
