Higo Jingo Tsuba sword guard in iron with brass inlay
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
Edo period (1615-1868), 18th/19th century
This Higo Jingo tsuba, or Japanese sword guard, dates to the Edo period (1615-1868), specifically the 18th or 19th century. The tsuba is forged from iron in a characteristic mokkō form, featuring four lobes and a smooth surface finish.
The piece is embellished with elaborate inlay work in brass, executed in high relief. The design on one side depicts a sinewy dragon, while the reverse side features a vajra, a ritual Buddhist implement, alongside stylized birds in flight. The tsuba measures 3 3/8 inches (8.6 cm) in height and is presented with its original wood tomobako storage box. This object is documented by a Hozon Tōsōgu (Sword Fitting Worthy of Preservation) certificate issued by the Nihon Bijutsu Tōken Hozon Kyokai in 1998, which classifies it as an authentic historical fitting of significant cultural interest for collectors of traditional Japanese samurai equipment and metalwork.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Physical characteristics
- Form
- mokkō
- Height
- 8.6 cm
- Material
- iron, brass
Technical characteristics
- Decoration
- high relief inlay
- Manufacturing
- forged
Design
- Obverse
- sinewy dragon
- Reverse
- vajra and birds in flight
Identification
- Source note
- Described from a single auction-house listing published on Invaluable (reproduced with Invaluable's permission). Details apply to that one example; other examples of the type may differ, and the listing is supplementary evidence, not authentication.
- Maker named in listing
- Higo Jingo
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.