Japanese Sukashi Tsuba in Burnished Iron
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
late Edo period, c. 1800
This Japanese sukashi tsuba is a sword guard dating to the late Edo period, approximately 1800. Crafted in burnished cast iron, the piece is designed in the classic maru-gata or circular shape.
The guard features an elaborate all-round openwork (sukashi) decoration, characterized by stylized, curvilinear motifs arranged symmetrically around the circumference. Central to the composition is the nakago-ana, the aperture designed to accommodate the tang of the sword blade. Additionally, the piece includes apertures for the kozuka and kogai-hitsu, though these specific auxiliary holes have been filled in. The craftsmanship incorporates decorative copper inlay, adding subtle textural contrast to the dark, burnished iron surface.
Measuring 8.5 cm in diameter, this unsigned tsuba exhibits expected signs of age consistent with its late 18th to early 19th-century origin. As an openwork sword guard, it exemplifies the aesthetic refinement and technical skill associated with traditional Japanese sword furniture of the late Edo period.
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
- Diameter
- 8.5 cm
- Material
- burnished cast iron, copper
Technical characteristics
- Apertures
- nakago-ana, filled-in kozuka and kogai-hitsu
Design
- Shape
- maru-gata
- Decoration
- all-round openwork sukashi
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.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.