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An unpublished catalogue of the A. H. Church collection of Japanese sword-guards (tsuba) by Albert James Koop.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: 37 objects
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Octagonal tsuba with Chinese pendent
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Literature notes
Rounded octagonal; on the front a flat raised symmetrical design of a Chinese pendent ornament with two large ovoid drops, covered with gold or silver wire nunome, and, in base, a seal-character [[Japanese text] JŌ, koyeda, "twig", also "item", "district"] (gilt); ground filled in with dark green enamel, much decayed; the back covered with a diagonal checker in silver wire nunome; modern shakudō rim; shapeless kodzuka-hole plugged with lead (recent). Nagasaki work. -
Details
- Associated place
- Date
- 17th century (1601 - 1700)
- Material and technique
- obverse and reverse: iron; shakudō rim; kozuka-hole plugged with lead; tang-hole plugged with soft metal, probably copper obverse: with gold or silver wire nunome-zōgan decoration, gilded decoration, and green champlevé enamel decoration reverse: silver nunome-zōgan decoration
- Dimensions
- 8.5 x 8.1 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,processed material › metal › lead,
- 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.11143
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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. 1143
Glossary (4)
kozuka, nunome-zōgan, shakudō, tsuba
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kozuka
The handle that holds the small knife called the kogatana.
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nunome-zōgan
Decorative application of metal sheeting (generally of gold or silver) where the iron ground is first cross-hatched and the metal burnished on.
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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
-
The A. H. Church Collection of Japanese Sword-Guards (Tsuba)
Rounded octagonal; on the front a flat raised symmetrical design of a Chinese pendent ornament with two large ovoid drops, covered with gold or silver wire nunome, and, in base, a seal-character [[Japanese text] JŌ, koyeda, "twig", also "item", "district"] (gilt); ground filled in with dark green enamel, much decayed; the back covered with a diagonal checker in silver wire nunome; modern shakudō rim; shapeless kodzuka-hole plugged with lead (recent). Nagasaki work.
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