Tsuba
date: label: Date
content: 19th century
notes: label: Catalogue Status
content: Research in Progress
label: Description
content: Probably Akaska school of Edo. This iron tsuba is naga maru gata (round) in shape, and is crafted in the ji sukashi openwork style, with a positive design showing mika tsuki, korogi, ran and torii (crescent moon, cricket, orchid and shrine gate), possibly making an allusion to a poem. At the center is a wide nakago-ana, an opening through which the sword passes, with sekigane (plugs added to fit the tsuba to a sword) made of shakudo (a soft copper and gold alloy). Surrounding this is the seppadai, a flat oval area that has a migaki ji (smooth) surface finish. 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 negative form of a moon. Opposite is the sashi omote 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. The rim of the tsuba is round, or maru-mimi.
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: 1936-4-330
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, shakudo (a soft copper and gold alloy)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D: 73.5 × 71.9 × 5 cm (28 15/16 × 28 5/16 × 1 15/16 in.)