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An unpublished catalogue of the A. H. Church collection of Japanese sword-guards (tsuba) by Albert James Koop.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
Mokkō-shaped tsuba with fly whisk and cherry blossoms
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Literature notes
Faint mokkō; hammered-up edge; in relief on the front a large fly-whisk with gold mounts and gold cord (with silver tassel-knob) hanging from a shibuichi ring attached to the dragon-headed end of the handle; at the back, in silver incrustation, are five cheery-petals blown by the wind which is represented by three or four bold sweeps in the metal of the guard; chesnut-shaped rh. plugged with copper-gilt stamped with four dragon medallions surrounded by rough ishime. Signed in a stamped circular seal on the field at the back: Buan [Japanese text]. (Unrecorded.) -
Details
- Associated place
- Date
- 19th century (1801 - 1900)
- Material and technique
- obverse and reverse: iron, with hammered-up edge; gilt copper ryōhitsu plugs, with punched ishime surface and stamped decoration; tang-hole plugged with soft metal, probably copper obverse: with gold, silver, and shibuichi reverse: inlaid with silver
- Dimensions
- 8.9 x 8.2 cm (height x width)
- Material index
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processed material › metal › iron,processed material › metal › gold,processed material › metal › alloy › copper alloy › shibuichi,processed material › metal › alloy › silver alloy › shibuichi,
- Technique index
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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.11096
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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. 1096
Glossary (2)
shibuichi, tsuba
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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
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The A. H. Church Collection of Japanese Sword-Guards (Tsuba)
Faint mokkō; hammered-up edge; in relief on the front a large fly-whisk with gold mounts and gold cord (with silver tassel-knob) hanging from a shibuichi ring attached to the dragon-headed end of the handle; at the back, in silver incrustation, are five cheery-petals blown by the wind which is represented by three or four bold sweeps in the metal of the guard; chesnut-shaped rh. plugged with copper-gilt stamped with four dragon medallions surrounded by rough ishime. Signed in a stamped circular seal on the field at the back: Buan [Japanese text]. (Unrecorded.)
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