07/05/2017
This new pendant I finished is a very unique piece. These symbols (the tiger and the dragon) are MENUKI design. The word Menuki stands for two decorative ornaments used one on each side of a japanese hilt. Of all the sword fittings, Menuki ranked first. Originally, about 950 A.D. they were simple pieces to cover each end of the pin securing the blade into the handle. In the 16th century, Menuki had evolved into works of art valued as much for the name of the artist and the school he came from as for the painstaking detail worked into each piece. The craft was so highly developed during feudal times that even the tools they used were guarded as secret by highly honored individual artists. Indeed, very special chisels were created which produced unique and exquisite detail over precast fittings. Each school was noted for its own style and sometimes was developed under the exclusive employ of a feudal lord. These two symbols came from the Goto Shirobei School which boasted 16 master artists and 154 student artists and was considered one of the greatest. With these designs, I created a pendant with a perfect balance.
