Tsuba with Gilded Leaf Decor

Tsuba with Gilded Leaf Decor is held by Badisches Landesmuseum Karlsruhe (Germany). Description supplied by the holding institution: The sword guard, curved like leaves on four sides, a so-called "tsuba", belongs because of its quatrefoil form to the "mokkô gata" type. Stylistically this tsuba is assigned to the "Hayashi" or "Higô" school. The decoration shows scrolls and leaves that were originally gilded. "Tsuba" are Japanese sword guards made of iron, copper or copper alloys that sit between the grip and the blade of a sword. In the center of the sword guard there is an opening for the tang of the sword. Two further recesses 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 possessed status symbol. 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: 8.0 cm, Width: 7.4 cm, Depth: 0.45 cm (Total). Published through Europeana; how far this object represents a wider collectible type has not yet been independently verified.