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An unpublished catalogue of the A. H. Church collection of Japanese sword-guards (tsuba) by Albert James Koop.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 leaves and scrolling stems
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Literature notes
Slightly cupped; pierced with two suhama ("sand-banks", three-lobed devices forming the badge of the Sanada), the piercings later filled with plain silver; the front coarsely engraved with a few scrolling stems, the smaller tendrils and five leaves being inlaid in brass. The hollow back has been red-lacquered during the 19th century (covering the silver plugs) and the three-sided rim added; this latter is in shakudō covered with exceedingly minute gold inlay in seven different designs (possibly by the inlayer of No. 1041 [EAX.11041], q.v., however). -
Details
- Associated place
- Date
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forged 16th century (1501 - 1600)
lacquered 19th century (1801 - 1900)
- Material and technique
- obverse and reverse: iron, with engraved decoration, and hira-zōgan (flat inlay) in brass; piercings plugged with silver; shakudō rim, inlaid with gold; tang-hole plugged with soft metal, probably copper reverse: covered in red lacquer
- Dimensions
- 8 x 7.9 x 0.4 cm (height x width x depth)
- Material index
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processed material › metal › iron,processed material › metal › alloy › copper alloy › brass,processed material › metal › alloy › copper alloy › shakudō,processed material › metal › gold,
- Technique index
- 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.10158
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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. 158
Glossary (3)
lacquer, shakudō, tsuba
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lacquer
Chinese and Japanese lacquer is made from the sap of the lacquer tree, which is indigenous to Eastern China. It is applied to wood as a varnish or for decorative effect. In India and the Middle East, lacquer is made from the deposit of the lac insect.
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shakudō
alloy of copper and gold, patinated to a dark blue-black 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)
Slightly cupped; pierced with two suhama ("sand-banks", three-lobed devices forming the badge of the Sanada), the piercings later filled with plain silver; the front coarsely engraved with a few scrolling stems, the smaller tendrils and five leaves being inlaid in brass. The hollow back has been red-lacquered during the 19th century (covering the silver plugs) and the three-sided rim added; this latter is in shakudō covered with exceedingly minute gold inlay in seven different designs (possibly by the inlayer of No. 1041 [EAX.11041], q.v., however).
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