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An unpublished catalogue of the A. H. Church collection of Japanese sword-guards (tsuba) by Albert James Koop.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
Show search help
Round tsuba with flowers, foliage, and dragons
-
Literature notes
On the front in gold and silver wire nunome is a symmetrical floral and foliage scroll design, the ground largely excavated and filled in with dark green enamel; an oblong frame of [Figure] pattern marks the sd.; at the back are dragons and clouds in silver wire nunome. Nagasaki work. -
Details
- Associated place
- Date
- 17th century (1601 - 1700)
- Material and technique
- obverse and reverse: iron, with silver wire nunome-zōgan decoration; ryōhitsu plugged with soft metal, probably shakudō obverse: with gold nunome-zōgan decoration, and green champlevé enamel decoration
- Dimensions
- 8.5 x 8.5 cm (height x width)
- Material index
-
processed material › metal › iron,processed material › metal › gold,processed material › metal › alloy › copper alloy › shakudō
- 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.11144
-
Further reading
Koop, Albert James, The A. H. Church Collection of Japanese Sword-Guards (Tsuba), 3 vols (Oxford, Ashmolean Museum, 1929), no. 1144
Glossary (3)
nunome-zōgan, shakudō, tsuba
-
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.
-
shakudō
alloy of copper and gold, patinated to a dark blue-black 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 front in gold and silver wire nunome is a symmetrical floral and foliage scroll design, the ground largely excavated and filled in with dark green enamel; an oblong frame of [Figure] pattern marks the sd.; at the back are dragons and clouds in silver wire nunome. Nagasaki work.
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