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Sword Guard (Tsuba) with the Carp and Seaweed Motif (藻鯉図鐔)

Fittings maker Kansai (寛斎) Japanese
dated 1868 (Keiō 4, 5th month)
Not on view
One side of this tsuba (sword guard) is engraved to resemble running water, onto which a large shakudō carp has been inlaid via suemon-zōgan, and seaweed via kinzōgan. The reverse has a polished finish and shows at the bottom left a yellow water-lily (kōhone) and towards the right the name of the artist, Kansai, in prominent seal script characters highlighted in gold nunome-zōgan. The rim is undercut and interpreted as dote-mimi. According to tradition, Kansai (寛斎, 1841–1918) was a student of the eighth and last master of the Iwamoto (岩本) School.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Sword Guard (Tsuba) with the Carp and Seaweed Motif (藻鯉図鐔)
  • Fittings maker: Kansai (寛斎) (Japanese, Edo, 1841–1918)
  • Date: dated 1868 (Keiō 4, 5th month)
  • Culture: Japanese
  • Medium: Iron, gold, copper-gold alloy (shakudō)
  • Dimensions: H. 3 1/8 in. (7.9 cm); W. 2 15/16 in. (7.5 cm); thickness 7/16 in. (1 cm); Wt. 4.8 oz. (136.1 g)
  • Classification: Sword Furniture-Tsuba
  • Credit Line: Edward C. Moore Collection, Bequest of Edward C. Moore, 1891
  • Object Number: 91.1.759
  • Curatorial Department: Arms and Armor

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