Tsuba with stylized centipede

Tsuba with stylized centipede is held by Badisches Landesmuseum Karlsruhe (Germany). Description supplied by the holding institution: The circular sword guard, a so-called »tsuba«, belongs to the »maru gata« type. Stylistically, the work most likely belongs to the »Shingen« school. The smooth rim of the tsuba is decorated with a stylized cord pattern. Around the center lies a stylized centipede (»mukade«). It consists of inlaid rings made alternately of gold and silver wire. »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… The collection record gives measurements height: 8.8 cm, width: 8.6 cm, depth: 0.85 cm (total). Published through Europeana; how far this object represents a wider collectible type has not yet been independently verified.