Tsuba (sword guard) with mushroom design / Artist Unknown, Japan
Viewer
About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 1966/1.100
- Title
- Tsuba (sword guard) with mushroom design
- Artist
- Artist Unknown, Japan
- Artist Nationality
- Japanese
- Medium and Support
- iron
- Object Creation Date
- 16th century
- Object Creation Place
- Asia (continent)
- Japan (nation)
- Creation Place 1
- Asia (continent)
- Creation Place 2
- Japan (nation)
- Dimensions
- 8 cm x 8 cm x 0.2 cm (3 1/8 in. x 3 1/8 in. x 1/16 in.)
- Century
- 16th century
- Primary Object Classification
- Arms and Armor
- Primary Object Type
- sword guard
- Secondary Object Classification
- Metalwork
- Secondary Object Type
- sword guard
- Physical Description
- Circular tsuba, made of iron. It has two holes in the middle. There are two openwork motifs of mushrooms on the lower left. Rusts on some parts of the piece.
- Subject Matter
- Tsuba (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 kougai, a spatula-like stick which is said to be used for itching hair underneath hats or helmets. Mushrooms were thought to have a magical power in East Asia.
- This tsuba is in the Kotosho style, which means "old swordsmith". They are usually thinly hammered and decorated with one or two pierced designs. Kotosho fate from Kamakura to early Muromachi period.
- Secondary Keywords
- buildings and the land
- descriptors
- edged weapons
- inorganic material
- iron and iron alloy
- landscapes (environments)
- materials
- materials by composition
- metal
- metal and metal products
- metal by composition or origin
- natural landscapes
- nonwoody plants
- objects we use
- settlements and landscapes
- vegetation and vegetation components
- vegetation components
- weapons
- weapons and ammunition
- Rights
- If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/about/services/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Technical Details
- Collection
- University of Michigan Museum of Art
- Image Size
- 577 x 563
- File Size
- 35 KB
- Record
- 1966/1.100
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1966-sl-1.100/1966_1.100.jpg
Rights and Permissions
Related Links
Portfolios
- In public portfolios
IIIF
- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1966-SL-1.100:1966_1.100.JPG
Cite this Item
View the Help Guide for more information.
- Full citation
-
"Tsuba (sword guard) with mushroom design; Artist Unknown, Japan." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1966-sl-1.100/1966_1.100.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 25, 2024.