Böcker av Markus Sesko

In the last years and decades several publications and translations on the subject of the Japanese Sword have been published in the West. In this way, the historical background, the characteristics of the blades, smiths, and schools, as well as the art of sword forging, and the sword fittings were introduced and explained. The aim of this publication is now to bring the reader closer to the role the Japanese sword - the nihontô - played in the warrior class and the Japanese society, namely by the means of legends, stories, and anecdotes on famous swords and their swordsmiths, embedded in an explanation of the background and other relevant facts. In the end, the reader should have an idea about the high value that was placed on this proverbial legendary weapon that span than a thousand years of Japanese history (and even still today as an object of art). The aim was to obtain a balance between easy access for beginners and detailed facts for confirmed enthusiasts.

This work focuses on the explanation and the origins of the most common terms in the field of tsuba, kodôgu, and tôsôgu. Terms from all areas are explained in detail, like zôgan (inlay), hori (carvings), iroe (colouring), sukashi (openings), dôgu (tools), jigane (raw materials), jimen (surface and surface finish), etc. Most of the explanations are supported by illustrations.

The aim of this publication is to make the genealogies of the Japanese tsuba and tôsô-kinkô schools easily accessible to the reader, namely in that they are complete and have been revised for the first time, in a single book. The book contains 120 genealogies of all the major schools, divided up into two sections: the tankô who worked in iron, and the tôsô-kinkô who processed soft metal. For a better use of the genealogies, an extensive index is added at the end of the book.