Tsuba (sword guard) with chrysanthemum and butterfly design / Artist Unknown, Japan
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About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 1978/2.11
- Title
- Tsuba (sword guard) with chrysanthemum and butterfly design
- Artist
- Artist Unknown, Japan
- Artist Nationality
- Japanese
- Medium and Support
- iron with gold inlays
- Object Creation Date
- 18th 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
- 9 cm x 7.6 cm (3 9/16 in. x 3 in.)
- Century
- 18th century
- Primary Object Classification
- Arms and Armor
- Primary Object Type
- sword guard
- Secondary Object Classification
- Metalwork
- Secondary Object Type
- sword guard
- Physical Description
- The flat iron plate with quatrefoil design. It has three holes: one for blade (middle) flanked by oval-shape hole (for kougai) and oval with bump shape (for kozuka). Chrysanthemums, autumn grass and a rock are carved on lower-right side; a butterfly is descending toward the flowers. Gold inlays are applied to the flowers, grass, part of the rock, and butterfly. The surface is finely granulated by etching (“ishime-ji”).
- 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. A smaller hole on the left is to place an ornamental stick, kozuka. Another hole on the right is to insert kougai, spatula-like sticks which are said to be used for itching hair underneath hats or helmets. Butterflies, chrysanthemums, autumn grass, and rock are popular motifs in Japanese decorative arts; the combination of chrysanthemums and grass suggests that this is an autumn scene.
- Secondary Keywords
- animals and creatures
- arthropods
- buildings and the land
- components
- components and systems
- components by specific context
- edged weapon components
- flowers (plants)
- herbaceous plants
- insects
- landscapes (environments)
- natural landscapes
- plants
- settlements and landscapes
- vegetation and vegetation components
- vegetation components
- weapon components
- woody plants
- 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
- 2854 x 2448
- File Size
- 952 KB
- Record
- 1978/2.11
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1978-sl-2.11/1978_2_11_view1.jpg
Rights and Permissions
Related Links
Portfolios
IIIF
- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1978-SL-2.11:1978_2_11_VIEW1.JPG
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- Full citation
-
"Tsuba (sword guard) with chrysanthemum and butterfly design; Artist Unknown, Japan." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1978-sl-2.11/1978_2_11_view1.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 02, 2024.