拵・刀装具の発展
Koshirae and Tōsōgu — The Culture of Sword Fittings
The sword fittings (koshirae and tōsōgu) — guards, grip ornaments, kozuka, and other metalwork — evolved from functional military hardware into an independent art form between the Muromachi and Edo periods, with master craftsmen producing tsuba and menuki rivaling the finest metalwork of any world tradition.
Beschreibung
Koshirae (sword mountings) and tōsōgu (sword fittings) evolved from functional military components into an independent and highly refined art tradition between the Muromachi and Edo periods. The tsuba (sword guard) became a canvas for master metalworkers using shakudo, gold inlay, and intricate carving. The Gotō family served as official metalworkers to the shogunate for 17 generations, producing the celebrated 'mitokoro-mono' sets of menuki, kōgai, and kozuka in their signature shakudo-and-gold style. In the peaceful Edo period, koshirae became primary vehicles for expressing aesthetic sensibility and social status, combining lacquer-work sheaths, silk wrappings, and masterwork fittings.
Merkmale dieser Epoche
- Use of shakudo, gold, and copper alloys as primary metalwork materials
- Gotō family mitokoro-mono sets as the highest-prestige fitting format
- Advanced tsuba techniques: sukashi (openwork), zōgan (inlay), taka-bori (relief carving)
- Integration of maki-e lacquer sheaths and silk handle wrapping
- Multiple regional and family schools (Shōami, Ishiguro, Gotō) with distinct styles