Description: TSUBA Japanese sword Hand guard pendant Vintage Gold Hollyhock Tsuba Pendant - Alva Museum Replicas - Sword Guard Ivy Vine Leaf Disk MedallionThe pendant measures 2 5/8 inches in diameter.The necklace has been well-maintained and cared for over the years. It is in excellent vintage condition. While intricately decorated and highly beautiful, these objects served a functional purpose for members of Japan's samurai caste—they were used to protect one's hand from one's own blade or that of an opponent. Tsuba were also important to the samurai culture, as the sword that represents the familyTsuba are intended to protect the user’s hand, first by shielding it against a blow from the opponent’s blade, and second by preventing it from slipping onto the razor-sharp edge of the weapon being wielded. Until the early seventeenth century, simply designed iron tsuba were dominant, as seen in the example here bearing a mushroom motif. When the Tokugawa regime required samurai warlords to travel regularly to the capital, Edo, and mandated that their wives and children reside there, considerations of urban fashion became more influential than battlefield practicalities in samurai attire and accessories. The tsuba became more an object of display than a functional item—a trend that further intensified when affluent merchants were permitted to carry swords in public and also began to demand attractive tsuba.As is well represented by this collection, there was great artistic creativity at play in tsuba-making during the Edo period. The newly developed shakudô (a copper–gold alloy of a lustrous purple–black color) was used to create relief designs. Openwork chiseling was a versatile method for creating dramatic representations of family crests or light, airy, and elegant plant motifs.(Label for UMMA Japanese Gallery Opening Rotation, March 2009)Subject matterTsuba (sword guard) is inserted between a sword handle and blade to protect hands from sharp blades. The center hole is where the sword is placed. The smaller hole is to insert kozuka, an ornamental stick.Primary Object ClassificationArms and ArmorPrimary Object Typesword guardAdditional Object Classification(s)MetalworkCollection AreaAsian
Price: 75 USD
Location: Marion, Indiana
End Time: 2025-01-03T18:45:10.000Z
Shipping Cost: 7.89 USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Primary Material: Copper
Color: Gold
Region of Origin: Japan
