Tsuba
date: label: Date
content: 1595–1615
name: label: School of
content: Heianjo-Zogan School, Japan
notes: label: Catalogue Status
content: Research in Progress
label: Description
content: Tsuba are disk-shaped metal sword guards that prevent the palm of the hand from slipping past the hilt and onto the blade. This tsuba was made during the Keicho period (1596–1615), a time when metalsmiths were beginning to transition from the production of Kyoto swords (old swords in traditional vernacular styles), and began to produce Shinto swords (new swords).
label: Description
content: This iron tsuba is shinmaru gata (a true circle) in shape, has a migaki (smooth) surface, and is decorated with an inlaid brass design of a kakiwaki kiri (branch of the paulownia tree) with parted foliage.
label: Description
content: The inlay technique known as tetsu was a specialty of the Heianjo school of brass inlay in a region of which Kyoto is the center. The suemon taka zogon inlay is high relief with thin, linear carving lines resembling hair.
label: Description
content: At the center is the nakago-ana, an opening through which the sword passes. On either side are ryo-hitsu, openings for the kozuka (utility knife) and the kogai (skewer tool). At left is sashi ura, the side which faces the blade, whose opening takes the hangetsu-kei (half moon) shape. Opposite is the more elaborately decorated 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. Surrounding these openings, is the seppadai, a flat oval area that is migaki (burnished). The rim of the tsuba is angular, or kaku-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: 1936-4-30
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, engraved brass inlay
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D: 8.7 × 8.7 × 4.2 cm (3 7/16 × 3 7/16 × 1 5/8 in.)