New Dissection of Sword Accessories 2 (Touken Fan Books 009)

These tiny metal pieces, such as the tsuba (guard), menuki (menuki), kozuka (small blade), kogai (hairpin), and fuchigashira (edge), incorporate unique and exquisite techniques cultivated over hundreds of years, from highly detailed engraving techniques to metalworking techniques such as rust treatment, alloying, and coloring, and are still applied in many fields today. This book is the second in a series introducing masterpieces of sword fittings by the author, a sword fittings researcher. It features many works not featured in the previous volume, as well as extensive columns providing background and behind-the-scenes information on the pieces. To make it enjoyable for beginners, the books are primarily presented in alphabetical order by artist and genre, rather than by era or region. Learning about not only swords but also sword fittings will deepen your understanding of Japanese swords and Japanese culture.

Chapter 1: Basic Knowledge of Sword Fittings: Why Were Swords Decorated? What is Origami? - What is the Seventh Day? Names and Descriptions of Each Part: Tsuba / Menuki / Kozuka / Kogai / Fuchi-gashira Glossary

Chapter 2: Anatomy of Works by Artist Araki Tomei, "Large and Small Fuchi-gashira with Geese" / Ishiguro Koremi, "Pine and Raptor Fuchi-gashira" / Ishiguro Masami, "Large and Small Fuchi-gashira with Peony and Peacock" / Izumi Koshiro, "Yasuchika Copy of Water Dragon Tsuba" / Ichinomiya Nagatsune, "Menuki with Kashima's Crime" / Ito Katsumi, "Shakyamuni" Kozuka / Iwamoto Konkan, "Large and Small Fuchi-gashira with Thrush" / Iwamoto Konkan, "Rabbit Tsuba" / Umetada Akitoshi, "Nine-Year-Old Mother Tsuba" / Otsuki Kooki "Sagicho Tsuba" / Omori Hidemitsu and Sakai Toshimasa "Uji River Vanguard" / Kano Natsuo "Shoki Chasing Demon" / (Ancient Armorer) "Sun and Foot Openwork Tsuba" / (Ancient Metalworker) "Autumn Grass and Autumn Insects Menuki" / (Koshoami) "Traces Tsuba" / (Ancient Swordsmith) "Sun and Moon Openwork Tsuba" / Goto Yusho "Victory Arrow Kozuka" / Goto Munenori "Evening Glory Kozuka" / Goto Noriyoshi "Two Lions Gold Menuki" / Goto Tokunobu "Idaten Demon Menuki" / Goto Eijo "Three Double Circle Paulownia Crest Kozuka" / Goto Akinojo's "Colored Daffodil Menuki" / Goto Sokunojo's "Echigo Lion Gold Menuki" / Goto Tonojo's "Ushiwakamaru Benkei Large and Small Gold Menuki" / Goto Rennojo's "Two Red Dragons" / Goto Ichinojo's "Colored Chinese Pine and Crane Nest" Fuchi-gashira / Goto Yoshinojo's "Large and Small Tsuba with the Genpei War" / Sakai Toshimasa's "Benzaiten Raising Welcome" Tsuba / Shinoyama Atsuoki's "Autumn Grasses and White Snake Tsuba" / Shimizu Jinbei (the First Jingo)'s "Tide Beckoning Tsuba" / Shimizu Jingo (the Second)'s "Spider Tsuba with an Old Tree" / Sugiura Noriyoshi's "Heavenly Dragon" Fuchi-gashira / Sugiura Noriyoshi's "Ebisu Fishing Tsuba" / Takase Eiju's "Peacock Tsuba" / Tanaka Kiyotoshi's "Dawn Crow Tsuba" / Tsuchiya Yasuchika's "Echigo Lion Menuki" / Tsuchiya Yasuchika's "Parent and Child Boar Tsuba" / Tsuchiya Yasuchika's "Three Horses Tsuba (Higashiame Inscription)" / Nara Toshihisa's "Parent and Child Tiger Menuki" / Nara Toshihisa's "Tiger and Child Crossing Small Tsuba" / Nara Toshiharu's "Tomofune Tsuba" / Nishigaki Kanshiro's "Tomofune Tsuba" / Nishigaki Nagahisa's "Tamagoto Moon Tsuba (Important Art Object)" / Nohara Tomohiro's "Large and Small Tsuba with Sparrow and Clam" / Nobuie "Tsuba with a mantra written in the open air" / Hamano Masatsugu and Kono Shunmei "Fringed sword with a design of Omori Hikoshichi" / Hayashi Matashichi "Tsuba with a design of a bowl and openwork wooden handle" / (Banshu Umetada) "Tsuba with two comma-shaped comma-shaped handles used by Oishi Kuranosuke" / Hirata Hikozo "Fringed sword with a design of openwork fans and flames on both sides" / (Yagyu) "Tsuba with a design of wind and sails (held in the Yagyu family)" / Yanagawa Masatsugu "Fringed sword with a design of a centipede" / Yama Yoshihei "Tsuba with a design of a long-eared rabbit" / Yokotani Somin "Kozuka with a design of a branching peony" / Yokotani Somin "Three objects with a design of daffodils" / Yokotani Soyo "Tsuba with a design of Shoki chasing a demon" / Yokotani Soyo "Kozuka with a design of five tigers