The A. H. Church Collection of Japanese Sword-Guards (Tsuba)
An unpublished catalogue of the A. H. Church collection of Japanese sword-guards (tsuba) by Albert James Koop.
Publications online: 1264 objects
Tsuba with tiger in a landscape
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Literature notes
Rounded oblong; wide raised border on the front, powdered with silver nunome near its irregular inner profile (representing couds); within this, on a slightly irregular ground, is a tiger in shibuichi relief on a rock overhanging turbulent water, with a pine-tree above; details in gold and silver incrustation, gold inlay, and engracing; at the back are more of the waves and distant snow-capped hills with a few conifers; edge hammered-up; specially shaped gilt tang-hole plugs. Signed: Toshikage [Japanese text] with kakihan at the back [Figure]. (Morikawa T., pupil of the founder, born 1839.) -
Details
- Associated place
- Date
- 19th century (1801 - 1900)
- Material and technique
- iron, with hammered-up edge, silver nunome-zōgan decoration, iro-e zōgan (multi-metal inlay) decoration in shibuichi, gold, and silver, and with engraved decoration; ryōhitsu plugged with soft metal, probably shakudō; tang-hole plugged with soft metal, probably copper, and gilded
- Dimensions
- 8 x 7.1 cm (height x width)
- Material index
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processed material › metal › iron,processed material › metal › alloy › silver alloy › shibuichi,processed material › metal › alloy › copper alloy › shibuichi,processed material › metal › gold,
- Technique index
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processed material › metal › alloy › copper alloy › shakudō,covered › metallized › gilded
- Object type index
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arms/armour › koshirae › kodogu › tsuba
- No. of items
- 1
- Credit line
- Bequeathed by Sir Arthur H. Church, 1915.
- Accession no.
- EAX.11068
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Further reading
Koop, Albert James, The A. H. Church Collection of Japanese Sword-Guards (Tsuba), 3 vols (Oxford, Ashmolean Museum, 1929), no. 1068
Glossary (4)
nunome-zōgan, shakudō, shibuichi, tsuba
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nunome-zōgan
Decorative application of metal sheeting (generally of gold or silver) where the iron ground is first cross-hatched and the metal burnished on.
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shakudō
alloy of copper and gold, patinated to a dark blue-black colour
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shibuichi
alloy of copper and silver, patinated to a dull grey-green colour
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tsuba
Japanese sword guard.
Location
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- currently in research collection
Objects are sometimes moved to a different location. Our object location data is usually updated on a monthly basis. Contact the Jameel Study Centre if you are planning to visit the museum to see a particular object on display, or would like to arrange an appointment to see an object in our reserve collections.
Publications online
-
The A. H. Church Collection of Japanese Sword-Guards (Tsuba)
Rounded oblong; wide raised border on the front, powdered with silver nunome near its irregular inner profile (representing couds); within this, on a slightly irregular ground, is a tiger in shibuichi relief on a rock overhanging turbulent water, with a pine-tree above; details in gold and silver incrustation, gold inlay, and engracing; at the back are more of the waves and distant snow-capped hills with a few conifers; edge hammered-up; specially shaped gilt tang-hole plugs. Signed: Toshikage [Japanese text] with kakihan at the back [Figure]. (Morikawa T., pupil of the founder, born 1839.)
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