Hand guard, 1750-1850

This sword-guard (Japanese:‘tsuba’) is made of the copper alloy known in Japanese as ‘shakudo’. The alloy contains approximately 95% copper and 5% gold (with other trace elements) and is patinated to the rich black colour shown here. The 16th-century warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi likened the colour to ‘rain on a crow’s wing’.

The foliate shape of this ‘tsuba’ is emphasised by the decorative inlaid silver wire in the form of a Japanese drawer-handle. It is decorated with inlaid panels of a butterfly and peony in translucent cloisonné enamels in the traditional style of the Hirata school. This school was founded by Hirata Donin (also known as Hirata Hikoshiro, died 1646). It was active through a subsequent 11 generations, well into the period 1850-1900. The quality of the work of the Hirata School was generally very high. However, by the 19th century the term ‘Hirata’ was also used to refer to much less refined work in the style of the school but made by other craftsmen.

Sword-guard (Japanese: tsuba) with applied cloisonné enamel decoration.