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An unpublished catalogue of the A. H. Church collection of Japanese sword-guards (tsuba) by Albert James Koop.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 and scrolls
-
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
-
processed material › metal › iron,processed material › metal › gold,processed material › metal › alloy › copper alloy › shakudō
- Technique index
-
cut,
- Object type index
-
arms/armour › koshirae › kodogu › tsuba
- No. of items
- 1
- Credit line
- Bequeathed by Sir Arthur H. Church, 1915.
- Accession no.
- EAX.11172
-
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
-
cloisonné
Decorative technique in which wires are attached to a metal body and coloured enamels are applied between the wires.
-
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)
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
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