Met, Japan, SF, MITO
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
ca. 1850
Tsuba (sword guard) made of shakudo (a copper/gold alloy patinated to a lustrous black colour) inlaid with copper, gold and shibuichi (a copper/silver alloy which can be patinated to various colours).
The tsuba is a protective guard fitted between the hilt and the blade of a sword. Originally they were simple iron disks, sometimes decorated by piercing or hammering in low relief. Later sword guards were more often made of copper alloys, patinated to a wide range of colours and inlaid with other coloured metals. Sword guards became miniature art forms, and different schools of makers 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 7.9 cm; Width 7.2 cm
- Materials and techniques
- Shakudo, inlaid with copper, gold and shibuichi
Technical characteristics
- Place recorded
- Japan
Identification
- Candidate id
- vam-O75130
- Museum object number
- M.99-1924
- 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.