Kozuka
ca. 1750 (made)
| Place of origin |
The handle for a scabbard knife is called a kozuka. The front of this kozuka is made of the copper-gold alloy called shakudo which patinates to a rich black. It is finely engraved and inlaid with a depiction of a Kabuki actor of the Ichikawa Danjuro line in the play 'Shibaraku.'
The back is of shibuichi - an alloy of approximately 25% silver mixed with copper. The resulting alloy can be patinated to a range of colours from silver, through grey, to a variety of browns. It is inscribed with a poem by Kikaku (1661-1707) which reads: Now that Danjuro is in, the devils are out! This inscription imitates a saying recited at the Japanese bean-scattering ceremony.
The back is of shibuichi - an alloy of approximately 25% silver mixed with copper. The resulting alloy can be patinated to a range of colours from silver, through grey, to a variety of browns. It is inscribed with a poem by Kikaku (1661-1707) which reads: Now that Danjuro is in, the devils are out! This inscription imitates a saying recited at the Japanese bean-scattering ceremony.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | copper-silver alloy (<i>shibuichi</i>) inlaid with other metals |
| Brief description | Handle for a scabbard-knife (kozuka), copper-silver alloy (shibuichi) inlaid with other metals depicting a Kabuki actor of the Ichikawa Danjuro line in the play Shibaraku, inscribed on the back with a poem by Kikaku (1661-1707): Now that Danjuro is in, the devils are out!. Signed Miboku with a seal-mark Shozui (Hamano Shozui, 1696-1769), Hamano school, Japan, ca. 1750. |
| Physical description | Handle for a scabbard-knife (kozuka), copper-silver alloy (shibuichi) inlaid with other metals depicting an actor of the Ichikawa Danjuro line in the play Shibaraku, inscribed on the back with a poem by Kikaku (1661-1707): Now that Danjuro is in, the devils are out!. Signed Miboku with a seal-mark Shozui (Hamano Shozui, 1696-1769). |
| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions | Inscribed on the back with a poem by Kikaku (1661-1707): Now that Danjuro is in, the devils are out!. Signed Miboku with a seal-mark Shozui (Hamano Shozui, 1696-1769). |
| Gallery label | Skewers, utility knives and handles (kōgai, kogatana and kozuka)
The scabbards of some swords had slots into which small skewers (kōgai) and knives (kogatana) fitted. The handles of the knives are called kozuka. Holes in the sword guard allowed the skewers and knives to slide in and out of the scabbard without the sword being drawn. The skewers were used by samurai to arrange their hair and clean their ears. Some were bifurcated and could be used as chopsticks. The skewers and knife handles were usually made from patinated copper alloy and often decorated with matching designs.
(04/11/2015) |
| Subject depicted | |
| Literary reference | Depicts actor of Ichikawa Danjuro line in the play <u>Shibaraku</u>. Inscribed on the back with a poem by Kikaku (1661-1707): <u>Now that Danjuro is in, the devils are out!</u> |
| Summary | The handle for a scabbard knife is called a kozuka. The front of this kozuka is made of the copper-gold alloy called shakudo which patinates to a rich black. It is finely engraved and inlaid with a depiction of a Kabuki actor of the Ichikawa Danjuro line in the play 'Shibaraku.' The back is of shibuichi - an alloy of approximately 25% silver mixed with copper. The resulting alloy can be patinated to a range of colours from silver, through grey, to a variety of browns. It is inscribed with a poem by Kikaku (1661-1707) which reads: Now that Danjuro is in, the devils are out! This inscription imitates a saying recited at the Japanese bean-scattering ceremony. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.111-1928 |
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| Record created | February 25, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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