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Originally Posted by Jim McDougall
This discussion continues to become more fascinating, for me personally because it has returned me to research from over 15 years ago on the kasthane which I realize now was dramatically incomplete. I do recall the material on the Keicho mission and Hasekura, and I cannot thank Gustav enough for posting this keenly important data and those remarkably telling images.
Also important are the details about the connections to Ming China in the 15th century. Clearly Sri Lanka was a profoundly important trade center far back in history and the study of this history is extremely complex as well as essential in truly understanding the networks and influences involved here.
The only data I have on the Hasekura reference is a news article of 1998 by Dr. de Silva of the National Museum. In this he notes some of the material mentioned in the articles posted by Gustav, and that there were a number of kasthane with carved ivory hilts (examples in the V&A in London and another in Belgium) which date from about 1415-67 . He describes the head as sinha (=lion), and this would set the terminus post quem for these hilts at least to c.1415 with sinha or lions heads.
With regard to the blade on the Hasekura kasthane I think Ibrahiim has made a remarkable suggestion, that this is either an Italian storta blade or one heavily influenced by them. As has been noted, this blade shape which is relatively broad and with a peak and yelman toward the tip is very much like Chinese dao blades, however these are typically later.
What seems plausible is the blade profile seen on this example, which is set in the period of the Hasekura mission (returned to Japan 1620) is of Venetian storta shape . The markings, the crowned N in particular , appear to be in an Italian 'style' and at the forte, the blocked ricasso form seems quite evident on Italian swords.
With this I checked "Armi Bianchi Italiene" (Boccia & Coelho, Milan, 1975) and as I opened to #386, I was stunned as I viewed that example of storta with virtually the same blade, and examples #387 and #388 all the same and all had either human or zoomorphic lion heads. These are shown as rm Venice c.1550-54. The hilts are simple 'S' guard (opposed up and down quillons) but essentially the same system as the kastane without the central downturned quillons at the blade.
As Anthony North well explained in his 1975 article ("A Late 15th Century Italian Sword", Connoisseuer Dec 1975 p.239) these Italian swords are remarkably linked to the nimchas of North Africa and as far east as Ceylon as he cites Charles Buttin ("Les Poignards et les Sabres Marocains", Hesperis, Tome XXVI, 1939) who drew the same theories.
Clearly Sri Lanka was well known from far earlier times and referred to as Taprobane by the Greeks, later Serandib by the Arabs and by 1505 Ceilao by the Portuguese. The range of trade with Venice is well known as well, as well as their contacts with China, Arabs, India, North Africa etc. and as we have seen, the Ming dynasty was linked with Ceylon as early as the 15th century.
I am tempted to consider the remarkable similarities of the dragon like 'fu dogs' or lions in China, though admittedly a free association thought which comes to mind as we factor in China here. We also have the possibility of provenance examples of lion head pommel kasthane as early as 15th c. (as mentioned by deSilva in his 1998 article).
We now see a blade of clearly storta form deriving from Venice, whether fitered through from China or direct contact and from mid 16th century.
We cannot help but wonder if perhaps these European zoomorphic hilts might have derived from oriental influences rather than vice versa.
I think here the key point of our discussion is the general hilt form of the sword we know as the kasthane and its development. It is clear that the stylized monster or zoomorphic pommel head has experienced dramatic license in the profoundly wide range of these hilts, and as J.F Pieris ("A Royal Dagger from Ceylon", Connoisseur, 1938. p.24) has observed the mystical creatures portrayed on the elements of these hilts, in this case referring primarily to the serepediya, the decorative qualities have been freely exploited by the artisans.
Therefore I would recommend once again that we continue the discussion with focus more on the development on the sword form itself, and that the nature or identification of the creatures represented be confined to each variant example itself. We should avoid broad assertions on the nature of these decorative elements concerning the kasthane overall, especially considering the volatility of the geopolitical status of Sri Lanka through so many centuries of history, as well as the well clouded circumstances of colonial intervention .
Addendum:
In further looking through Boccia & Coelho, the basic structure of these hilts in Italy becomes apparent in examples of storta and early schiavona (c. 1480-1500) with upward and downward quillons on crossguard and branched upswept knuckleguard. The inner 'crab claw' type appendages which become entirely vestigial on the kastane hilts in general seem to reflect these from a number of Italian and even Nasrid hist types.
Most of the Italian examples I viewed were those of mid to end of 16th c. but the shiavona type carries back to c.1480, so the quillon system seems quite old, but essentially Italian.
Re: the markings, the use of capital M with cross and orb over it occurred and the flueret design used with it similar to many quillon terminals seen.
DeSilva noted that Thom Richardson stated he thought the letter on the Hasekura blade indicated ownership rather than a makers mark.
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