Tsuba with lattice pattern

Tsuba with lattice pattern is held by Badisches Landesmuseum Karlsruhe (Germany). Description supplied by the holding institution: The rectangular sword guard, a so-called "tsuba", features chamfered edges and belongs to the "sumiiri kakugata" type.

A right-angled, openwork lattice pattern defines its decoration. Stylistically, the design of the tsuba is attributed to the "Shôami" school. "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 needle ("kôgai").

Tsuba protected the hand from the opponent's sword and from the danger of slipping onto one's own blade during a thrust. In Japan, tsuba were status symbols. They embodied the aesthetic principles and social standing of the owner. Literature: Robert E. Haynes, The Index of Japanese Sword Fittings and Associated Artists, Ellwangen 2011; WeltKultur / Global… The collection record gives measurements height: 7.45 cm, width: 7.35 cm, depth: 0.4 cm.

Published through Europeana; how far this object represents a wider collectible type has not yet been independently verified.