Tsuba Otaku (鍔おたく)
Reflections of a Not So Empty Mind
(鍔ギャラリー⑧) Tsuba Gallery #12
Nanban Tsuba (南蛮鐔)
Japanese Title: 三頭の竜唐草図透鐔 (santo no ryu to hōju-karakusa zu sukashi tsuba)
Material: Iron (Tetsu 鉄)
Age: Edo Period (江戸時代)
Size: 7.4 cm X 7.8 cm, 4.0 mm at rim.
Signature: Mumei (無銘)
Shape: Nagamaru-gata (長丸形)
Surface Finish: Ishime-ji (石目地)
Attachment: None
This handguard (tsuba 鐔) is for a long sword (katana 刀) worn edge up at the waste. It is made of well forged iron (tetsu 鉄). The design contains three auspicious Chinese style serpentine dragons (ryu 竜) and a wish fulfilling gem (hōju宝珠) surrounded by clouds carved in the background of a complex vine network. The design collectively can be written in Japanese as (santo no ryu to hōju-karakusa zu sukashi 三頭の竜唐草図透). The classic design is wonderfully detailed Intricately carved in (nikubori-jishukashi 肉彫地透かし) and extends to both side of the tsuba. The dragons, clouds, wish fulfilling gem, and rim of the tsuba are all nicely highlighted with gold fabric style inlays (kin nunome-zōgan 金布目象嵌). The overall shape of the tsuba is an elongated round (nagamaru-gata 長丸形). The rim of the tsuba is an uncommon irregular shape (変わり形kawari-gata).
Provenance: Unknown purchased from a US based Asian Art Dealer at the 2025 Baltimore Antique Arms Show.
Owari Sukashi Tsuba (尾張透鐔)
Japanese Title: 車透かしの図鐔 (kuruma sukashi no zu tsuba)
Material: Iron (tetsu 鉄)
Age: Middle Edo Period (江戸時代中期)
Size: 7.4 cm X 7.7 cm, 4.8 mm at rim, 5.1 mm at seppa-dai
Signature: Mumei (無銘)
Shape: Kaku-gata (角形)
Surface Finish: Migaki-ji (磨地)
Attachment: None
This tsuba is made for a long sword (katana 刀) and made of forged iron (tetsu 鉄). The openwork design is that of wheel (kuruma 車). It is style of positive openwork design is called (ji-sukashi 地透かし). The design is made up of positive elements made of the remaining forged iron. The overall design of the tsuba would be referred to as (kuruma sukashi no zu 車透かしの図) in Japanese. The overall shape of the tsuba has eight sides keeping with the number of spooks in the wheel. The tsuba has a variation of the square shaped (kaku-gata 角形).
This specific tsuba was published on page 129, item number 194 of the Japanese book: 日本のデザイン 鐔の美, which translate as the “Japanese Design Art of the Sword Handguard” by Mastsunaga Hiroyoshi (松永廣吉), HayashiXX (林ⓧⓧ), and KashimaX (加嶋ⓧ) copyrighted 2003. The book places the approximate production period of this (Owari tsuba 尾張鐔) to be the middle of the Edo Period (edo-chūki 江戸中期). The tsuba is flat without much variation in thickness of the plate (地も平になり, 変化に乏しい.).
Provenance: Unknown purchased from a US based Asian Art Dealer at the 2025 Baltimore Antique Arms Show.