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An unpublished catalogue of the A. H. Church collection of Japanese sword-guards (tsuba) by Albert James Koop.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
Round tsuba with flowers and scrolls
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Literature notes
Square centre set anglewise within the narrow border, the four spandrels each fret-pierced with the same symmetrical scroll design; on each face the square is inlaid with gold wire in a checker of four by four, with various diapers, some in gold-cloisonné enamel; the "Hirata curl" is also included; edge inlaid in the same techniques with detached scrolls and conventional devices; sd. and trifoliate kodzuka-hole outlined with gold wire; small trifoliate kōgai-hole pierced later, without bordering.
Attributed (like the enxt two [EAX.11173 and EAX.11174]) by Sir Arthur Church to Hirata Narihisa, IIIIrd Master, d.1671.
Ernest Hart Collection, no.204; then Lucas Collection. -
Details
- Associated place
- Date
- 18th century (1701 - 1800)
- Material and technique
- iron, with cut and filed openwork decoration, inlaid with gold wire, and with gold wire cloisonné enamel; kōgai-hole plugged with soft metal, probably shakudō
- Dimensions
- 8 x 8 cm (height x width)
- Material index
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processed material › metal › iron,processed material › metal › gold,processed material › metal › alloy › copper alloy › shakudō
- Technique index
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cut,
- 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.11172
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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. 1172
Glossary (3)
cloisonné, shakudō, tsuba
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cloisonné
Decorative technique in which wires are attached to a metal body and coloured enamels are applied between the wires.
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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)
Square centre set anglewise within the narrow border, the four spandrels each fret-pierced with the same symmetrical scroll design; on each face the square is inlaid with gold wire in a checker of four by four, with various diapers, some in gold-cloisonné enamel; the "Hirata curl" is also included; edge inlaid in the same techniques with detached scrolls and conventional devices; sd. and trifoliate kodzuka-hole outlined with gold wire; small trifoliate kōgai-hole pierced later, without bordering.
Attributed (like the enxt two [EAX.11173 and EAX.11174]) by Sir Arthur Church to Hirata Narihisa, IIIIrd Master, d.1671.
Ernest Hart Collection, no.204; then Lucas Collection.
Notice
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