Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

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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An unpublished catalogue of the A. H. Church collection of Japanese sword-guards (tsuba) by Albert James Koop.

The A.H. Church Collection of Japanese Sword-Guards (Tsuba) by Albert James Koop

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Tsuba with dragons and shishi, or lion dogs

  • Literature notes

    Rounded oblong; designs in sharp relief, the higher parts in incrustation of brass or copper; on the front are two ascending dragons and pearl, with a "long life" seal character below; on the back are four lions (shishi) with three brocaded balls and a peony flower below; plain border of circular section; long octagonal seppadai lightly engraved with scrolls and inlaid in copper with two lotus leaves and in brass with two lotus-pods.

    A very similar guard from the Hawkshaw Collection (no.316) is in the V. and A. M. The symbolism of various items in the design has a Buddhistic flavour.
  • Details

    Associated place
    Asia Japan (place of creation)
    Date
    1st half of the 18th century
    Material and technique
    iron, with engraved decoration, and inlaid with brass and copper
    Dimensions
    8.8 x 8.3 cm (height x width)
    Material index
    Technique index
    Object type index
    No. of items
    1
    Credit line
    Bequeathed by Sir Arthur H. Church, 1915.
    Accession no.
    EAX.10819
  • Further reading

    Koop, Albert James, The A. H. Church Collection of Japanese Sword-Guards (Tsuba), 3 vols (Oxford, Ashmolean Museum, 1929), no. 819

Glossary

tsuba

  • tsuba

    Japanese sword guard.

Location

    • currently in research collection

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Publications online

  • The A.H. Church Collection of Japanese Sword-Guards (Tsuba) by Albert James Koop

    The A. H. Church Collection of Japanese Sword-Guards (Tsuba)

    Rounded oblong; designs in sharp relief, the higher parts in incrustation of brass or copper; on the front are two ascending dragons and pearl, with a "long life" seal character below; on the back are four lions (shishi) with three brocaded balls and a peony flower below; plain border of circular section; long octagonal seppadai lightly engraved with scrolls and inlaid in copper with two lotus leaves and in brass with two lotus-pods.

    A very similar guard from the Hawkshaw Collection (no.316) is in the V. and A. M. The symbolism of various items in the design has a Buddhistic flavour.
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