Sword guard (tsuba) depicting Bishamonten, guardian warrior and god of wealth, and Benzaiten, goddess of knowledge and music
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1750–1800
Sword guard, tsuba , copper-silver alloy shibuichi with engraving and low relief decoration of gold, silver and the copper-gold alloy shakudo . Decorated with Bishamonten, guardian warrior and god of wealth, and Benzaiten, goddess of knowledge and music on the front, and Daikoku with Hotei's sack on the back.
Signed 'Joi' with the seal 'Nagaharu'. 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
- 2
- 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
- Height 70 ml; Width 65 mm
- Materials and techniques
- Copper-silver alloy (<i>shibuichi</i>) carved and inlaid with gold silver and copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>)
Technical characteristics
- Place recorded
- Japan
Identification
- Candidate id
- vam-O465406
- Museum object number
- M.237-1911
- 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.