Momoyama period iron tsuba with floral and insect motifs
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
Momoyama period
This Momoyama period tsuba, or Japanese sword guard, is a distinctive piece of metalwork characterized by its bright and expansive aesthetic. Measuring approximately 81 mm in height by 79 mm in width and weighing about 125 grams, the piece features a surface centered around a seppa-dai that retains traces of black lacquer.
The obverse side displays a delicate motif of autumn insects and flowers, rendered in a simple, gestural line-drawing style reminiscent of single-stroke painting. The reverse is decorated with a clove pattern, a design frequently employed as a symbol of auspiciousness in traditional family crests. The tsuba exemplifies the quintessential Momoyama style, which favors a direct and untainted artistic expression over the refined, intricate technicality often associated with the later Edo period.
The craftsman's execution conveys an openness and lack of self-consciousness, contributing to the work's historical and aesthetic significance in the evolution of Japanese sword furniture.
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
- Width
- 79 mm
- Finish
- black lacquer
- Height
- 81 mm
- Weight
- 125 grams
Design
- Obverse
- autumn insects and flowers in line-drawing style
- Reverse
- clove pattern
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.