Sword guard

Object Type
The main function of the tsuba is to prevent the warrior's hand from sliding up on to the blade of the sword during combat. It also balances the weight of the blade and protects the hand from an opponent's blade. This tsuba is of patinated copper with a nanako (fish-roe) type of ground with a design in relief of flowers and grasses, some of which are gilt-decorated.

People
This tsuba is in the style of the Goto school of metalworkers, the official makers of sword-fittings for the shogun's court. Following the dissolution of the samurai in 1876 and the prohibition of the wearing of swords, many former samurai sold their swords and sword fittings. Many of these objects reached Europe, where they were eagerly collected. This piece formed part of a group of 92 tsuba sold to the V&A in 1888 by H. Virtue Tebbs.This purchase more than doubled the Museum's collection of such items.

Time
This unsigned tsuba was made in the early 19th century. By the late 19th century tsuba had become redundant in Japan, but were avidly collected by westerners fascinated by a new art form that lent itself to the Victorian passion for collecting and cataloguing objects of interest.