Tsuba
date: label: Date
content: early 18th century
name: label: Maker
content: Kawaji Tomotomi, Japanese, 1754
notes: label: Catalogue Status
content: Research in Progress
label: Description
content: This iron tsuba is kaku mokko (square with lobed corners) in shape and has a kaku mimi (square outer rim). Marubori-Sukashi (round openwork carving) shows a design with a military baton decorated with kin hira zogan (flat gold inlay)
label: Description
content: At the center is the nakago-ana, an opening through which the sword passes. Surrounding this is the seppadai, a flat oval area that is migaki (burnished). The outer rim is round, or maru-mimi. On either side are ryo-hitsu, openings for the kozuka (utility knife) and the kogai (skewer tool). At right is sashi ura, the side which faces the blade, whose opening takes the hangetsu-kei (half moon) shape. Opposite is sashi omote, the side which faces the sword hilt. Its tri-lobed opening is of the suhama type, and symbolically represents the coastline of Horai, the holy island of the Immortals.
place: label: made in
content: Japan
setName: label: See more items in
content: Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Collection
label: See more items in
content: Product Design and Decorative Arts Department
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Bequest of George Cameron Stone
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 1936-4-351
objectType: label: Type
content: metalwork
label: Type
content: Decorative Arts
label: Type
content: Tsuba
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: Iron, gold
label: Dimensions
content: L x W x D: 78.8 × 76.2 × 3.9 cm (31 in. × 30 in. × 1 9/16 in.)