Tsuba
c. 1860 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Hand-guard (tsuba) of a sword, carved in the form of a coiled snake
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.
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.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Copper-zinc alloy (<i>shinchū</i>) with silver gilding |
| Brief description | Met, Japan, SF Hand-guard (tsuba) of a sword, carved in the form of a coiled snake, signed Zuiryūken Terutomo, Japan, about 1860 |
| Physical description | Hand-guard (tsuba) of a sword, carved in the form of a coiled snake, signed Zuiryūken Terutomo, Japan, about 1860 |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | 'Carved by Zuiryuken Terutomo' (Signed) |
| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Salting Bequest |
| Object history | Bequeathed by Mr. George Salting, accessioned in 1910. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. |
| Summary | Hand-guard (tsuba) of a sword, carved in the form of a coiled snake 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. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.967-1910 |
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| Record created | June 25, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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