Tsuba
c.1850 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The Buddhist deity, Benzaiten, goddess of knowledge and music, riding a dragon through the clouds and playing a zither (<i>koto</i>)
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
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Copper/gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), hammered ground with applied details in <i>shakudō</i>, copper, silver and gold. |
| Brief description | Met, Japan, SF, MITO The Buddhist deity, Benzaiten, goddess of knowledge and music, riding a dragon through the clouds and playing a zither (koto) |
| Physical description | Sword guard, tsuba, of copper-gold alloy shakudo. Modelled and decorated in low relief with gold, silver, copper and copper-gold alloy shakudo, edge hammered-up. The tsuba depicts the Buddhist deity Benzaiten (also known as Benten) seated on a dragon in the clouds and playing the koto (a zither-like instrument). |
| Dimensions |
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| Content description | |
| 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 | The Buddhist deity, Benzaiten, goddess of knowledge and music, riding a dragon through the clouds and playing a zither (<i>koto</i>) 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 | 1422-1888 |
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| Record created | June 25, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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