Sword guard (tsuba) with openwork design of tigers in bamboo ring, iron with gold details, Japan, 18th century
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
18th century
Sword guard (tsuba). Formed as a broad almost circular ring of bamboo with two tigers; the bamboo decorated with scrolling Chinese grasses (karakusa) and stylised paulownia (kiri) leaves in gold overlay (nunome), which is also used for the stripes of the two tigers.
The tsuba is a practical device placed between the hilt and the blade giving protection to the hand as well as providing a medium for the Japanese metalworker to demonstrate his skills. Early tsuba were simple iron disks but these were sometimes pierced or hammered with low relief decoration. Various copper alloys were later used and these could be patinated to a wide range of colours and finishes and then inlaid with other coloured metal alloys.
Tsuba became miniature art forms in their own right and many schools developed their own unique styles.
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
- Dimensions
- Length 8.0 cm; Width 7.8 cm
Technical characteristics
- Place recorded
- Japan
Identification
- Candidate id
- vam-O462025
- Museum object number
- M.894-1910
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked single-object source. Wider type attribution and authenticity have not been independently verified.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: confirm the wider type and source attribution against specialist references.