Tsuba (sword guard) with iris design / Artist Unknown, Japan
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About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 1978/2.8
- Title
- Tsuba (sword guard) with iris design
- Artist
- Artist Unknown, Japan
- Artist Nationality
- Japanese
- Medium and Support
- iron and gold
- Object Creation Date
- circa 1780
- 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
- 7.8 cm x 7.3 cm x 0.4 cm (3 1/16 in. x 2 7/8 in. x 3/16 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
- It is a round, openwork iron tsuba, in the design of three interconnected irises. The two holes are plugged with gold.
- 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 kozuka, an ornamental stick. Irises are popular motifs in Japanese art, for their association with Tale of Ise, classical literature from the Heian period (794-1192).
- Secondary Keywords
- buildings and the land
- descriptors
- edged weapons
- herbaceous plants
- inorganic material
- iron and iron alloy
- landscapes (environments)
- materials
- materials by composition
- materials by origin
- metal
- metal and metal products
- metal by composition or origin
- natural landscapes
- objects we use
- plant material
- plants
- settlements and landscapes
- vegetation and vegetation components
- vegetation components
- weapons
- weapons and ammunition
- 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
- 723 x 701
- File Size
- 57 KB
- Record
- 1978/2.8
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1978-sl-2.8/1978_2.8.jpg
Rights and Permissions
Related Links
Portfolios
IIIF
- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1978-SL-2.8:1978_2.8.JPG
Cite this Item
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- Full citation
-
"Tsuba (sword guard) with iris design; Artist Unknown, Japan." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1978-sl-2.8/1978_2.8.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 18, 2024.
