Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

Openheart · 2009-08-27 08:59:06

Does anyone have or know of pictures/images of early or antique shakuhachi covers? I am trying to mimic these but have found very few pictures on the web -only 2 actually.

I am currently gathering materials to make a few Shakuhachi bags. I have tracked down an early Edo period silk and cording and will make this bag to have what I believe to be an "authentic" look.
That said I am also going to make a Utaguchi cap to match the bag -with rattan interior covered with a soft leather on the inside. But all I have to go on for an "authentic" look is a couple of pictures and my knowledge of early Japanese clothing. So I imagine the bags would not have the flamboyant patterns that I see on the web -but rather subtler coordinated solids and matching cording.

AND can anyone verify the statements (I heard recently on a web video) that there is a "ceremonial" way to wrap and unwrap a shakuuhachi from it's bag?

Ever appreciatively-
O

Namaste

Openheart · 2009-09-09 16:33:19

More info on this search: Of course I found many obvious connections between the shakuhachi bags and katana bags from the early Edo period. What I expected to find was some modification in design -I found none. Shakuhachi bags are sword bags. There was a simple ceremonial way to tie the cover flap down. But this was usually only done when presenting the sword or flute to someone as a gift -or from a craftsman to his customer. And those same ties were sometimes used to create a shoulder strap as the flutes had no other hands free carrying method other than through the belt. I believe that the sword and the shakuhachi were carried in very similar manners by the Samurai that adopted them. Maybe this was all common sense to some -but I like a little history with my belief.

Cheers all
O

Moran from Planet X · 2009-09-09 18:59:30

Openheart wrote:
I believe that the sword and the shakuhachi were carried in very similar manners by the Samurai that adopted them. Maybe this was all common sense to some -but I like a little history with my belief.

I think short katana covers (bags) work well for traditional 1.8 shakuhachi. Long katana covers fit longer flutes well (Tairaku has a 2.35 Taimu that just barely fit in a longer sword sheath which I had). (For "correct" useage of the term katana see Wiki or just google and have fun reading for the next 14 hours ...)

I have two pics here of artwork of samurai carrying their shakuhachi without covers, inverted into the backs of their obi. I think the shakuhachi could just as well have been in sheaths but would be "lost" in context of the picture, so illustrating them bare seems like a more logical artistic convention.

If you have a $3,000,000 three-stamp Shigemi 1.8 with gold leaf calligraphy all over it that was played by Araki Kodo III, IV and V once every tenth Buddha's Parinirvana Day in a remote tea house hand-built by Sen no Rikyu himself -- I wouldn't carry my shakuhachi bare-assed in the back of my belt, If I were you.

Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

#1 2009-08-27 08:59:06

early Shakuhachi bag pictures?

#2 2009-09-09 16:33:19

Re: early Shakuhachi bag pictures?

#3 2009-09-09 18:59:30

Re: early Shakuhachi bag pictures?

Openheart wrote:

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