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Sword Guard (Tsuba) Depicting Biting Lion Heads (Shikami) and Arabesques (獅噛唐草図南蛮鐔)

19th century
Not on view
The rim area of this Nanban-style tsuba is decorated with arabesques and forms a cartouche which shows the symmetrical gold and shakudō design of demon heads and fern-like flowers on the obverse and an asymmetrical gold and shakudō design of flowers on the reverse. The edges of the hitsu-ana (openings for scabbard accessories) are highlighted in gold and the rim shows traces of a gold nunome-zōgan décor.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Sword Guard (Tsuba) Depicting Biting Lion Heads (Shikami) and Arabesques (獅噛唐草図南蛮鐔)
  • Date: 19th century
  • Culture: Japanese
  • Medium: Iron, gold, copper-gold alloy (shakudō)
  • Dimensions: H. 3 1/16 in. (7.8 cm); W. 2 7/8 in. (7.3 cm); thickness 3/16 in. (0.5 cm); Wt. 4.6 oz. (130.4 g)
  • Classification: Sword Furniture-Tsuba
  • Credit Line: Edward C. Moore Collection, Bequest of Edward C. Moore, 1891
  • Object Number: 91.1.806
  • Curatorial Department: Arms and Armor

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Sword Guard (Tsuba), Iron, copper, Japanese
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Sword Guard (Tsuba), Omori Hidenaga Japanese, Copper-gold alloy (shakudō), gold, copper, silver, Japanese
Sword Guard (Tsuba)
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18th century
Sword Guard (Tsuba), Hirata School Japanese, Copper-gold alloy (shakudō), gold, enameled cloisonné (shippō), copper, Japanese
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ca. 1615–1868
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唐草図鐔 Sword Guard (<i>Tsuba</i>), 鷲田光中作 Washida Mitsunaka Japanese, Iron, silver, copper, Japanese
唐草図鐔 Sword Guard (Tsuba)
鷲田光中作 Washida Mitsunaka
19th century

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