Tetsugendo school iron tsuba with courtiers carrying an ema
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)
This 19th-century Japanese tsuba, or sword guard, originates from the Edo period and is attributed to the Tetsugendo school. Crafted from iron in the marugata circular form, the piece features a sophisticated design rendered in marubori, a style of openwork round carving.
The surface is elaborately decorated with takazogan (high-relief inlay), hirazogan (flat inlay), and nunomezogan (overlay) using gold, silver, and copper. The narrative scene depicts two courtiers transporting an ema, a traditional wooden votive plaque, toward a torii gate leading to a temple. The ema is detailed with a horse, while the reverse is inscribed with a dedication and signed by Tosa Mitsunobu. The torii gate includes a Hachimangu plaque.
The tsuba is equipped with one kozuka hitsu ana. Measuring 7.5 cm in height and 7.2 cm in length, with a mimi (rim) and seppa-dai thickness of 0.5 cm, the object weighs 107 grams. This intricate metalwork exemplifies the technical mastery of Japanese sword fittings during the Edo period.
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
- Height
- 7.5 cm
- Length
- 7.2 cm
- Weight
- 107 g
- Material
- iron, gold, silver, copper
- Thickness mimi
- 0.5 cm
- Thickness seppa dai
- 0.5 cm
Technical characteristics
- Form
- marugata
- Style
- marubori
- Features
- one kozuka hitsu ana
- Inlay techniques
- takazogan, hirazogan, nunomezogan
Design
- Motifs
- torii with hachimangu plaque
- Obverse
- two courtiers carrying an ema with a horse motif towards a temple torii
- Inscriptions
- hokake gohozen (Reverently dedicated for display before the honored shrine); signed Tosa Mitsunobu hitsu
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.
- Maker named in listing
- Tetsugendo school
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.