Tsuba (sword guard) with design of blowfish, shrimp and plant / Seishinsai
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About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 1978/2.3
- Title
- Tsuba (sword guard) with design of blowfish, shrimp and plant
- Artist
- Seishinsai
- Artist Nationality
- Japanese
- Medium and Support
- brass with gold, silver, copper, and shakudô (copper-gold alloy) inlays
- Object Creation Date
- 19th century
- Object Creation Place
- Asia (continent)
- Japan (nation)
- Creation Place 1
- Asia (continent)
- Creation Place 2
- Japan (nation)
- Credit Line
- Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Robert T. Weston
- Dimensions
- 6.5 cm x 5.6 cm x 0.5 cm (2 9/16 in. x 2 3/16 in. x 3/16 in.)
- Century
- 19th century
- Primary Object Classification
- Arms and Armor
- Primary Object Type
- sword guard
- Secondary Object Classification
- Metalwork
- Secondary Object Type
- sword guard
- Physical Description
- This small, flat piece made of light brown brass (called "sentoku" in Japanese) has a round diamond shape. It has a triangular shaped hole in the center and another round hole on one side. Artist’s name is signed between the two holes. The surface is slightly concaved from the rim. The front has relief design of a shrimp, blowfish, and bamboo branch. On the back, there are designs of a spiral shell, a barnacle, and water drops. The sea motifs are inlayed with gold, silver, copper, and shakudô (copper-gold alloy).
- 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 an ornamental stick called kozuka. This particlar tsuba has a sea-related theme of shrimp and blowfish.
- Secondary Keywords
- animals and creatures
- arthropods
- buildings and the land
- components
- components and systems
- components by specific context
- crustaceans
- edged weapon components
- edged weapons
- landscapes (environments)
- natural landscapes
- objects we use
- settlements and landscapes
- vegetation and vegetation components
- vegetation components
- weapon 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
- 2053 x 1845
- File Size
- 527 KB
- Record
- 1978/2.3
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1978-sl-2.3/1978_2_3_view1.jpg
Rights and Permissions
Related Links
Portfolios
IIIF
- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1978-SL-2.3:1978_2_3_VIEW1.JPG
Cite this Item
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- Full citation
-
"Tsuba (sword guard) with design of blowfish, shrimp and plant; Seishinsai." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1978-sl-2.3/1978_2_3_view1.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 25, 2024.