Tsuba
| Place of origin |
Sword guards (tsuba)
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.
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.
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Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Shakudo decorated with copper, gold and silver |
| Brief description | Met, Japan, SF, Goto |
| Physical description | Sword guard, tsuba, of copper-gold alloy shakudo. Quatrefoil or mokko shaped, with nanako (finely hammered dots) covering both faces and edge. Decorated with a ceramic tea-bowl in copper with two sprays of camellia in shakudo, gold and silver. Signed 'Goto Mitsuaki' with artist's seal. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | 'Goto Mitsuaki' (Signed) |
| Gallery label |
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| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | Sword guards (tsuba) 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. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.950-1931 |
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| Record created | June 25, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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