Tsuba
1847 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
On one side of the tsuba Raijin, the Thunder God, is depicted as he rampages in the heavens with his wheel of drums. The reverse depicts his companion Fujin, the Wind God, who struggles to light a fire to cook a cauldron of beans.
The tsuba is a practical device placed between the hilt and the blade giving protection to the hand as well as providing a medium for the Japanese metalworker to demonstrate his skills. Early tsuba were simple iron disks but these were sometimes pierced or hammered with low relief decoration. Various copper alloys were later used and these could be patinated to a wide range of colours and finishes and then inlaid with other coloured metal alloys. Tsuba became miniature art forms in their own right and many schools developed their own unique styles.
Following the abolition of the samurai class in 1876, many Japanese artisans lost their traditional patrons and had to find new markets for their skills. Some makers of sword fittings produced extremely high-quality works using traditional techniques but now in new and exciting ways and these were avidly acquired by western collectors.
The tsuba is a practical device placed between the hilt and the blade giving protection to the hand as well as providing a medium for the Japanese metalworker to demonstrate his skills. Early tsuba were simple iron disks but these were sometimes pierced or hammered with low relief decoration. Various copper alloys were later used and these could be patinated to a wide range of colours and finishes and then inlaid with other coloured metal alloys. Tsuba became miniature art forms in their own right and many schools developed their own unique styles.
Following the abolition of the samurai class in 1876, many Japanese artisans lost their traditional patrons and had to find new markets for their skills. Some makers of sword fittings produced extremely high-quality works using traditional techniques but now in new and exciting ways and these were avidly acquired by western collectors.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Materials and techniques | Patinated copper-silver alloy (<i>shibuichi</i>), hammered ground with applied and inlaid details in gold, copper and copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>) |
Brief description | Raijin, the Thunder God, rampaging in the heavens with his wheel of drums. The reverse with Fujin, the Wind God, who struggles to light a fire to cook a cauldron of beans. |
Physical description | Sword guard (tsuba) |
Dimensions |
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Content description | On one side of this tsuba we see Raijin the Thunder God rampaging in the heavens with his wheel of drums. On the reverse we see Fujin, the Wind God desperately trying to light a fire to cook a cauldron of beans. Lightning from the storm raised by Raijin on the other side of the tsuba is hitting the firewood at a crucial moment. The understated humour here is the link between the Wind God and the beans he is trying to cook - perhaps comparing the power of his wind with the flatulent results of eating beans... |
Style | |
Marks and inscriptions |
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Gallery label | The tsuba is a protective guard fitted between the hilt and the blade of a sword. Originally they were simple iron disks, sometimes decorated by piercing or hammering in low relief. Later sword guards were more often made of copper alloys, patinated to a wide range of colours and inlaid with other coloured metals. Sword guards became miniature art forms, and different schools of makers developed their own unique styles.(04/11/2015) |
Object history | Purchased from Mr. H. Virtue Tebbs (St. John's Gardens, Notting Hill), accessioned in 1888. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. |
Summary | On one side of the tsuba Raijin, the Thunder God, is depicted as he rampages in the heavens with his wheel of drums. The reverse depicts his companion Fujin, the Wind God, who struggles to light a fire to cook a cauldron of beans. The tsuba is a practical device placed between the hilt and the blade giving protection to the hand as well as providing a medium for the Japanese metalworker to demonstrate his skills. Early tsuba were simple iron disks but these were sometimes pierced or hammered with low relief decoration. Various copper alloys were later used and these could be patinated to a wide range of colours and finishes and then inlaid with other coloured metal alloys. Tsuba became miniature art forms in their own right and many schools developed their own unique styles. Following the abolition of the samurai class in 1876, many Japanese artisans lost their traditional patrons and had to find new markets for their skills. Some makers of sword fittings produced extremely high-quality works using traditional techniques but now in new and exciting ways and these were avidly acquired by western collectors. |
Collection | |
Accession number | 1435-1888 |
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Record created | February 21, 2003 |
Record URL |
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