Tsuba in the shape of a kiri blossom

Tsuba in the shape of a kiri blossom is held by Badisches Landesmuseum Karlsruhe (Germany). Description supplied by the holding institution: The sword guard, a so-called »tsuba«, is designed in the shape of a stylized kiri blossom (also called paulownia blossoms) of the empress tree.

The leaf veins of the blossom are damascened in gold. »Tsuba« are Japanese sword guards made of iron, copper, or copper alloys that sit between the hilt and the blade of a sword. In the center of the guard is an opening for the tang of the sword. Two further openings are intended for a utility knife (»kozuka«) and a sword hairpin (»kôgai«). Tsuba protected the hand from an opponent's sword and from the danger of slipping onto one's own blade when thrusting.

In Japan, tsuba were status symbols. They embodied the aesthetic principles and the social standing of the owner. Literature: Robert E. Haynes, The Index of Japanese Sword Fittings and Associated Artists, Ellwangen 2011; WeltKultur / Global Culture. Führer durch die kulturgeschichtliche Abteilung, ed. by Badisches Landesmuseum,… The collection record gives measurements height: 7.8 cm, width: 7.4 cm, depth: 0.5 cm. Published through Europeana; how far this object represents a wider collectible type has not yet been independently verified.