There is an illustration in the collection of the Tokyo University of Fine Art. It is often cited by theater scholars, tracing the origins of Noh. One detail shows a sword juggler. I'd like to have it looked at by some jugglers for a change. If anyone is interested, PM me. Thanks.

Deleted post, file failed to attach, operator error.

It's a challenge, but I figured out how to post some illustrations to Picasa. Have a look, tell me what you https://picasaweb.google.com/11136517998......MA#think.

Followed link just got a picture of you wearing something over your head

Check your PM's

I just checked that link again and now it seems to be broken. Hopefully this will work. https://picasaweb.google.com/11136517998......k_pulMA#

Obviously you can't tell much from an illustration by a non-juggler but the swords depicted would be very difficult to juggle. The centre of gravity (centre of rotation) of the sword would make it very difficult not to slice the juggler in the face. I know from having juggled Kebab knives (the long ones they use for slicing the meat for kebabs). That he is showering 5 is very unlikely, I don't know of anyone who can shower five clubs, although someone may be able to do this. I think it very unlikely that they could do it with a two sword balance. I would imagine that in reality there would have been a gimmick with the two sword balance. Whilst I know personally a couple of people that can juggle whilst balancing two clubs large end to large end, they are only juggling 3 objects and they aren't as cumbersome as swords. Aren't old illustrations fascinating in what they both show and pretend to show.

Nigel

I think a non-juggler might draw a 5 cascade as a five shower.

Most non jugglers can't tell you how many balls there are in the air.

Most non jugglers think a cascade is really a shower.

Only a real juggler can spot a reverse cascade.

Only a real juggler can spot a left hand shower.

Only a real juggler can tell the difference between a full shower, and a half shower.

Nigel is right, I have never seen anyone do a five club shower either.

This is normal non juggler artist interpitation. Arms out to the sides and the props in a circle over them. I would guss the sword balance is a gimic.
and I think I saw some one do a 5 club shower last week, or was it 6?...

The challenge in reconstructing performances from old illustrations and journals is trying to figure out what was really happening not what the artists and writers think they are seeing.

The illustration of the two monks, one playing a drum and the other "juggling" is interesting too. The "juggling" monk has two sticks. They appear to be balanced on his finger tips. Beating a prayer with two sticks is an old ritual. If there is juggling going on, the fact the sticks aren't held in the monks fingers suggest he is spinning the sticks in between beats. It is certainly open to interpretation.

Old illustrations are filled with exaggerations and ambiguities, in Orient as well as in Occident. The artist may have aimed at representing an effect instead of an actual event with precision. It was a time before cinema; consequently figuring movement was through symbolic representation. We could consider the sword juggler image as a representation of throwing a single sword in a circle, hand to hand, while balancing two swords. However, we can see that the top sword doesn’t touch the other one balanced on the juggler’s forehead. Can we say for sure that he is balancing two swords or is the top sword a moment of the rotation of the thrown sword?

Interesting...
It could just be one sword that is being juggled and balanced, like the previous poster said the illustration could just be showing the different movements of the sword.

I would think it impossible that he is juggling five swords in a shower over his head while balancing two swords. I think there is a lot of artistic licence there.


Phil