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An unpublished catalogue of the A. H. Church collection of Japanese sword-guards (tsuba) by Albert James Koop.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 depicting the luck god Hotei gazing at a crescent moon
-
Literature notes
On the lower part of the front, in very flat incrustation of copper, is the reclining figure of Hotei (one of the Luck Gods), gazing and pointing up at the crescent moon (silver inlay); at his feet is a boy attendant, also in copper, with silver face and hands; Hotei's robe is richly inlaid with patterns in gold and silver; the back is plain except for the general surfacing of fine ishime (irregular pattern) adn the signature Jōi [Japanese text] and seal Nagaharu [Japanese text], which appear on the field, the seal being in gold wire inlay on a flush panel of gold-bordered copper.
This guard has been considerably knocked about and is obviously old; this, combined with the excellence of its style and the fact that Mr. F. V. Dickins stated that it was given to him by a daimiō to whom he had rendered a special service, encourages us to believe that we have here that very scarce commodity, a genuine Jōi guard. It was, at any rate, one of those selected by Mr. H. L. Joly for the Red Cross Loan Exhibition, London, 1916, and illustrated n the catalogue (Plate CXXXI, no. 605). -
Details
- Associated place
- Date
- 18th century (1701 - 1800)
- Associated people
-
Budai (active 10th century AD) (subject)
- Material and technique
- obverse: shibuichi, with iro-e zōgan (multi-metal inlay) decoration in copper, silver, and gold reverse: shibuichi, with punched ishime surface
- Dimensions
- 7.2 x 6.8 x 0.4 cm (height x width x depth)
- Material index
-
processed material › metal › alloy › copper alloy › shibuichi,processed material › metal › alloy › silver alloy › shibuichi,
- Technique index
- Object type index
-
arms/armour › koshirae › kodogu › tsuba
- No. of items
- 1
- Credit line
- Bequeathed by Sir Arthur H. Church, 1915.
- Accession no.
- EAX.10938
-
Further reading
Koop, Albert James, The A. H. Church Collection of Japanese Sword-Guards (Tsuba), 3 vols (Oxford, Ashmolean Museum, 1929), no. 938
Glossary (2)
shibuichi, tsuba
-
shibuichi
alloy of copper and silver, patinated to a dull grey-green colour
-
tsuba
Japanese sword guard.
Location
-
- 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)
On the lower part of the front, in very flat incrustation of copper, is the reclining figure of Hotei (one of the Luck Gods), gazing and pointing up at the crescent moon (silver inlay); at his feet is a boy attendant, also in copper, with silver face and hands; Hotei's robe is richly inlaid with patterns in gold and silver; the back is plain except for the general surfacing of fine ishime (irregular pattern) adn the signature Jōi [Japanese text] and seal Nagaharu [Japanese text], which appear on the field, the seal being in gold wire inlay on a flush panel of gold-bordered copper.
This guard has been considerably knocked about and is obviously old; this, combined with the excellence of its style and the fact that Mr. F. V. Dickins stated that it was given to him by a daimiō to whom he had rendered a special service, encourages us to believe that we have here that very scarce commodity, a genuine Jōi guard. It was, at any rate, one of those selected by Mr. H. L. Joly for the Red Cross Loan Exhibition, London, 1916, and illustrated n the catalogue (Plate CXXXI, no. 605).
Notice
Object information may not accurately reflect the actual contents of the original publication, since our online objects contain current information held in our collections database. Click on 'buy this publication' to purchase printed versions of our online publications, where available, or contact the Jameel Study Centre to arrange access to books on our collections that are now out of print.
© 2013 University of Oxford - Ashmolean Museum