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and Japanese Sword

in

Fittings

the Collection of the

Jsuba

Cooper-Hewitt

Museum

The Smithsonian
Institution's National

Museum

of

Design

Chronology

Jomon
Yayoi

3000-200 B.C. (approx.)

200 B.C.-300 A.D. (approx.)

300-645
552-710 710-794

Tiimulus (Dolmen)

Asuka
Nara
Heian

794-1185
1185-1333

Kamakura
Muromachi

Nambokucho
Mid-Late Muromachi

1334-1573 1334-1392 1392-1573 1573-1615 1616-1867 1868-1912

Momoyama
Edo
Meiji

1980 by the Smithsonian

All

Institution

rights reserved

Library of Congress Catalogue No. 80-67169

Designed by
Gottschalk

Ash

Ltd.

HK

Tsuba

SEP

2 6 1979

.,;
and Japanese Sword
in

Fittings /

the Collection of the Cooper-Hewitt

Museum

The Smithsonian

Institution's National

Museum

of

Design

Foreword

The

collection of

Japanese tsuba and sword

This catalogue,

made

possible through

fittings at tfie

Cooper-Hewitt

Museum was
in

the generosity of the Charles E. Merrill Trust,

bequeattied by George
collector of Oriental

Cameron Stone

1936.

briefly

describes the work of

many major

schools

arms and armor, Mr Stone

in

of tsuba artists.
full

While space limitations prevent

specialized, particularly in his later years,

the

discussion and prohibit mention of every

artist of merit,
will
it

study of Japanese weaponry. His monumental

school and

is

hoped

that the

Glossary of the Construction, Decoration, and Use

of Arms and Armor in All Countries and All Times
(1934)
is still

descriptions

stimulate interest in this remark-

able and little-known art form.

considered a major reference work

its initial

decades

after

publication.
in

Lisa Taylor

There are over twelve hundred items

Director

the Cooper-Hewitt Collection, spanning the twelfth

to the nineteenth centuries.

Cooper-Hewitt

Museum

Many

of the

major

tsuba schools are represented; however, the

emphasis

is

clearly placed

on those

of the last

two

hundred years. The

collection, like

most Western
makers
of

accumulations, touches the iron

fitting

the seventeenth century and nicely represents the

tastes, interests,
in

and state

of

Western knowledge

the early twentieth century.

A number

of

unusual, even unique, metalworking techniques

brought to heights of perfection by the Japanese

are well

documented

in

the Stone collection.

The

availability of this material for

students and art

lovers provides a glimpse of a fascinating

sculptural style.

Introduction

Tsuba

Omote

(Front)
tiilt

faces the

Ura (Back)

Hira (Body)

Kozuka Hitsu-ana

Sekigane

Udenuki-ana

Interest in the

Japanese sword has occupied stu-

nation

on earth has expended such energy on the

dents and collectors of sculptural art and metallurgy for hundreds of years.

production of swords as has Japan, and none has

ever approached the remarkable results of that
effort.

The

earliest

Japanese

chronicles, which purport to describe the begin-

For

more than

a thousand years individual

nings of Japanese

civilization, tell of a

magical
of a dra-

sword-makers presented Japanese warriors with

entirely hand-crafted, highly polished blades,

sword which was plucked from the

tail

gon by the god Susano-0. The sword, with the

jewel and the mirror,
is still

the characteristics of which changed through the years to

of warfare.

considered one of the

accommodate

the changing styles

three sacred items of the Imperial regalia.

this

From

legendary beginning, the history of the sword

its

The bearers
samurai (one

of these

weapons were the

and

decoration has been elucidated with

who

serves), the hereditary warrior

increasing clarity by succeeding generations of

caste which evolved during the tenth and eleventh

students.

Through the long and convoluted history

of Japan, the military

sword has persisted as a

major symbol of power, wealth, and beauty. No

centuries; the samurai maintained their consider-

straight,

had largely been replaced by curved

strong decorative elements suited the needs of the

restrained but powerful samurai for

able influence until the middle of the nineteenth century.

blades of magnificent steel. Tsuba of iron or unrefined

whom

they

The samurai's

military virtues

loyalty,

copper bore simple, but often elegant, deco-

were made.

bravery, endurance, obedience and stoicism

vi^ere

ration.

Samurai

of the period

wore loosely hanging

When
was

peace came, however, tsuba mak-

codified into a stern ethic that

became

ing suits of armor, constructed of strips of iron

carried out by rapidly proliferating schools

known as

the

"way

of the warrior" (bushido).

and leather held together by thongs

of leather or

of technically expert artisans

whose production
in

This code stressed contempt for any pursuit but

that of developing excellence in warfare, particularly in

brightly colored strips of silk. Armor, helmets

and

was seldom intended

matched

for

use

warfare. The

horses' trappings were often ornately decorated with precious metals and lacquer.
In

decorative styles of eighteenth-century tsuba

their peaceful use;

the use of the sword.

Samurai devoted and perfected

.

ornamentation of the

their lives to serving their lords, their

the late thirteenth and fourteenth

tsuba became an end

ated. Although a

in itself

and the

art deterior-

swordsmanship

to that

end Individual

centuries, fighting techniques

changed

after

few individuals and schools

heroism and feats of bravery were celebrated, and

the concept of death before dishonor
in

two invasions

of

Japan had been launched from

maintained the high standards of previous eras

was

instilled

the Asian mainland.

The massed

infantry of Kublai

and produced magnificent works even

tieth

in

the twenarti-

the warrior psyche.

The sword

of the
it

samurai

Khan's Mongol invaders showed the inadequacy

of single challenge

century a general conversion of art to

until

was an
his

object of veneration, since

represented

combat. Both

in

1274 and 1281

the

sanship continued

the wearing of swords

in

honor as a

soldier. Its fittings, particularly the

the tide of battle

was turned against

Mongols

was banned by

Imperial decree

1871

and the

tsuba (sword guard), also achieved symbolic

by

violent, providential

storms rather than by the

blades and fittings largely passed into the province of the scholar

prominence.
In early

defender's superior armies.

and

collector.

periods of Japanese sword-

Gradually the sword changed again

style

in

smithing, the greatest emphasis

simplicity

was

put on

from the tachi to the katana, which was

in

and

practical effectiveness,

and the

carried
to

a scabbard thrust through the sash

sword and
current

its fittings

were modified
The

to

conform

rather than

hung from the

belt.

Though some
were generally

methods

of warfare.

battles of the

were very long, katana,

about two and a
than the
tactii,

like tactii,

Heian period, fought with long curved spears and

flights of

half feet in length. Easier to

draw

arrows, were decided

in

combat with
in

they were just as deadly, capable of

long single-edged swords (tachi) carried

a
belt.

cutting completely through

scabbard slung by cords from the warrior's

tsuba, particularly those

enemy armor The made for this sword,

by perforations that

By the tenth century, the sword blade,

originally

were sometimes made

lighter

evolved into decorative elements, and the use of

copper alloys provided an expanded palette

colors.

of

By the time fears of another Mongol

sion had subsided the central government

inva-

was

bankrupt, and the nation

was

gradually engulfed
early fourteenth

by a series of
century

civil

wars from the

until final unification in

1615. Tsuba proactivity

duced during

this period of

heavy military

were made

of either iron or soft metals: their

Japanese Swords and

their Fittings

Katana
Same
Mekugi
Fuchi

Kozuka

Kashira

Menuki

Tsuba

Seppa

Tachi
Menuki
Fuchi
Ishizuki

Kabuto-gane

Tsuba

Seppa

It

was

the samurai's exclusive privilege to carry

further decorated with small metal objects. Tsuba,

hilt,

paired large and small (daisho) swords. Each of the two major types of long

scabbard and the small metal decorations

sword has a

particular
it.

constitute the koshirae, the complete

of a

mountings

short sword which usually accompanied

tachi

The

sword.

was worn

with the dirk-like tanto, and the

its

Katana
tec/?/

fittings differ

from those

of the

katana with the wakizashi,

tings for the paired

shorter version.

Fit-

sword, since the former was worn thrust

latter

swords matched each other

in

through the samurai's sash, while the

hung

The sword blade was kept

a plain or

on cords

for

which additional attachments were

decorated scabbard. The unpolished blunt tang

(nakago) of the blade
is

required. In
is

some

cases, a different terminology

fittings.

inserted into a hollow

used for similar

Katana

fittings are

as

wood
is

hilt

and

fixed there with a

peg (mekugi) that

in

follows;

slipped through matching holes

is

both.

The
in

blade

also fitted with a tsuba and sheathed

hilt

scabbard (saya). The

and the scabbard are

Hilt (tsuka)

and Related Fittings

Scabbard (Saya) and Related Fittings

The scabbard
piece of
blade.
is
,

Tachi Fittings
two halves
of a

Among

the earliest fittings to appear were the

in

also

made

of

Several fittings for tachi swords are similar to

menuki. These are two

number and
hilt.

are

fastened at either side of the

fittings

Originally these

decorated the retaining pin which held

in

wood hollowed in this case to fit the the sword was not in use, the blade was housed in a simple wooden scabbard made

those for the katana.

fittings (ashi)

On

the scabbard are located

When

which are used to hang the scab-

bard from the waist.

strap or chain

is

passed

the blade

place

in

the

hilt. In

addition to their

specifically for

it,

and placed on a sword

its

rack.

through two

fittings that encircle the

scabbard,

decorative function, they also helped, by their

slight projection

When

the

sword was worn,

of lacquer

scabbard was

and

is

attached to the waist cord. These devices

above the

rest of the

hilt,

to give

most often

retaining

band some-

are often decorated in the

same

style as the other

tip

the warrior a firmer grip.

times surrounds the scabbard's mouth (koiguchi)

are capped by two

metal decorations of the scabbard. The

the scabbard
ishizuki,
is

end

of

The ends

of the

hilt

and an end cap

(kojiri)

decorates

its tip.

enclosed by a metal cap or by the

is

metal ornaments of different shape, but

whose
in

Two

small implements were often inserted

which

of variable length

and some-

surface workings are always matched. At one end

of the
hilt is

slots in the

scabbard
in

after

passing through

times has projecting arms extending along the

a hollow

pommel,
is

the kashira, and at

matching slots

the tsuba.

One
is

is

a small knife

scabbard for six to eight inches. The

hilt is

tipped

the end next to the tsuba

the band-like fuchi.

(kozuka), the handle of which

decorated. The

by a metal cap (kabuto-gane) that encloses the end of the

surface.
hilt

Thus the fuchi and the kashira surround the two ends of the hilt and stabilize it.
The
hilt is

term kozuka can

or to the
hilt

refer either to the

complete knife

and

is

pierced to reveal the

in

hilt's

alone.

The other implement, the

small hole

the metal cap

is

for a

constructed as follows: a cylinis

skewer-like toga/,
to pin

was probably used as

a device

decorative sword-knot. Both types of swords have

similar fittings

drical piece of

wood

cut in half, the interior hol-

up the

hair.

on the

hilt

but neither the kozuka

the tachi

lowed to

fit

the tang of a particular blade, and a

in

The smaller fittings, also well-represented

in in

nor the kogai

bard.

is

carried

in

sword scab-

hole for the peg drilled to match that

the tang.

the Cooper-Hewitt Collection, are

is

all

worthy

of

The halves are then glued together and wrapped

same, the skin of a ray
fish.

study Each
great
skill.

a jewel-like sculpture worked with

fittings are all

The fuchi

is fitted

Although these

small

in

onto the open end which

tang.

will

receive the blade

a triangular hole
in

scale, the artistry lavished

on these

tiny surfaces
in

The tang passes through

it

surpasses that reserved for the finest jewelry

other cultures.

the fuchi, as

enters the

hilt.

The kashira

is fitted

around the closed end. The

then frequently wrapped
of the braid length
is

hilt

and covering are

braid.

in silk

The center
its

held next to the fuchi, and

hilt;

two ends are wound crisscross around the

after

passing through the kashira the braid

are placed on top of the
,

is

tied

off. fi/lenuki

same and
in

under the

silk braid

when

the

hilt is

wrapped, or
place.

they are sometimes pinned or glued

Tsuba (Sword Guard)

Tsuba-gata (Shapes)

Kutsura-gane

Inome

ShJtogi

Stiitogi with

Kutsura-gane

Aoi with

Inome

Mokko

The
is

largest fitting,

used with both types of sword,

a plate, usually about 1/16 to 5 inches wide. The gen-

The
and

front side of the tsuba

is

{omote) faces the

hilt

many

of

which are

to

be found

in

the

Museum
have not

the tsuba. This

is

generally

more

elaborately decorated than

collection. Variations in the other fittings

1/4 inch thick and

eral

Vk to

the reverse (uraj.

central triangular

opening

been nearly as dramatic, so the study of tsuba

provides particular insight into the
of the
artistic history

construction of the tsuba, with the exception

(nakago-ana) through which the sword tang passes

is

of the earliest styles, remained

unchanged

for a

surrounded by an oval elevation with a

dal).
It

flat

sword

fittings of

Japan.

thousand years. Although

its

shape may be

surface (seppa

is

here that the signature of

The history
oval copper-gilt

of tsuba begins with Hoju, the

round, oval, square, many-sided or irregular, and

its

the maker appears, on the front side.

pair of

sword guards, sometimes with

surface solid or pierced

in

positive or negative

separate oval washers (seppa) encircle the tang on

either side of the tsuba, covering the

trapezoidal, cut-out decoration, found in the burial

silhouette

openwork, the basic form remained

seppa

dal.

mounds

of the ancient

Dolmen

era (mid-4th to
later

constant.

The ends
tsuba

of the central

opening of the

mid-7th century A.D.) These were

replaced
rice

The tsuba served as the most important

functional fitting and,

may

be

filled

with copper plugs (sekigane)

by the shitogi type, named after the shape a

cake would assume
style, first
if

due

to

its

size

and

location,
It

and the edges of the opening hammered to

produce a perfect
marks.
Oval or shaped openings
either side of the
fit

squeezed

in

the hand. This

also had the greatest symbolic importance.

pro-

for the blade, leaving

deep

used

in

the Nara period (710-794) per-

tected the hand, helped to balance the sword, and

sisted for several

hundred years,

particularly for

was

the

most

visible decorative object

when

the

may

exist
is

on

ceremonial purposes.

sword was worn. Inasmuch as the samurai

usually

seppa

dai; the left

its

one

for the

Other tsuba styles evolved during the

Heian period (794-1185). An unsuccessful

wore two swords

at all

times, and would

passage
in

of the

kozuka on

way
is

into the pocket

not be seen without them, the kinds of tsuba worn

often

the scabbard

and the other

absent.

for the kogai.

attempt to improve the shitogi by adding siderings (No. 1)

disk.

depended upon the day's

activity.

One

Either or both

may be

Two

small holes

was followed by

a return to the

flat

might, for example, prefer an iron guard for battle

(udenuki-ana) for the passage of tying cords

exist in the

may

The most

common

early flat

shapes were the and

and a highly decorated

soft metal

guard for court

lower part of the tsuba. The rim

four-petalled ao/, as well as simple circles

use, although these distinctions were not invariable.

(mimi) of the tsuba was

made

last,

and

its

charac-

The samurai usually owned several tsuba

fittings for

teristics are helpful in classifying individual

and matching

each blade, and changed

guards.

them

to suit

mood

or occasion.

Since tsuba have been

centuries, and

in

use for fourteen

skilled

were created by the most

metalworkers, there exists today a rich heritage of

these miniature sculptures. They
titude of techniques

embody

a mul-

and materials, including

to the rest of the world.

some

alloys

unknown

ovals.

Hardened leather tsuba Cnen/(aiva^ were

inches

in

diameter, and decorated with simple,

of flowers,

begun

to create iron tsuba. Until the mid-fifteenth

also used for a time.

openwork, negative silhouette designs

insects,

century iron tsuba had been primarily adorned

with piercing and openwork; but the artists of

During the Kamakura era (1185-1333),

and everyday objects. Armorer's tsuba

some

refinements

in

these simple

flat

tsuba were

usually have thin centers and raised rims, while

Kamakura
ing with

city

produced tsuba with low

relief

carv-

made, and decorations consisting

increasingly

largely of

the swordsmith's guards have thicker centers tapering to thin rims.

minimal openwork. Toward the end of the

in

complex

piercings,

hammerings, and

century a group of tsuba makers

Kyoto began

castings of unrefined copper appeared.

The

art of soft metal tsuba

was

greatly

to inlay brass nails

initially

and wires

into iron tsuba, their

By the beginning

of the

Muromachi period

fostered by the development of two alloys:

primitive designs later evolving into ele-

(1334-1573) decorated iron and soft metal (kinko)

shakudo, composed primarily

that produced,

of

copper and gold

gant brass inlay decoration.

tsuba were being made. Copper bronze and vari-

when

suitably pickled, a deep,

Many
shakudo

artists

had been

at

work with

soft

ous alloys were being

utilized extensively.

Two

blue-black color; and shibuichi. primarily copper

metals during Muromachi, particularly using the

alloy

major styles of iron tsuba were being fashioned:

katchushi, thought to have been
ers;

and

silver,

which yields a spectrum

of

hues from

and unrefined copper As soft metal

inlaid

made by armor-

silver-grey to grey-brown. Early soft metal tsuba

techniques advanced, these surfaces were

with exquisite sculptures of

and tosho, believed to have been the product

were primarily

o^

shakudo, or

of unrefined

copper
left

men, gods, animals,

of swordsmiths. Both are usually round, 3y2 to 5

(yamagane). Their surfaces were sometimes

and objects. Chasing, engraving and simple piercing

smooth but might be roughened

often small

or

hammered;
that

added to the decorative ensemble. Marvelous

in

punched knobs added a texture

soft metal fittings appeared, especially

Kyoto

evolved into wide expanses of tiny elevated dots

and Mino province. At the end of the Muromachi

period practically every

resembling fish me(nanako).

method

of

working metal

Throughout the Muromachi period

armorers and swordsmiths continued to pro-

had been mastered; these techniques were refined

during the succeeding

Momoyama
It

(1573-1615)
the

duce characteristic tsuba (Nos. 2,3), but as

as 1400 artists Kyoto, and
in

early

and Edo (1616-1867) periods.

was during

in

the cities of

Kamakura and

Edo period

that tsuba entered an exclusively

Owari and other provinces, had also

decorative phase and a vast outpouring of sword

fittings

began to flood the country

With the end of the Edo era, the Emperor

Meiji

undertook a vast program

of the

of modernization

and banned the wearing

great tsuba artists
in

sword. While a few

or
in

private

life

court service

continued to carry on their

craft,

Japan was hurry-

ing into the twentieth century.

Kimono were

replaced by Western clothes, and outside forces

began to work

their

changes on the hitherto

.

homogeneous
turned to
territory

nation

The energy

of the people

mass production and

less

the expansion of

and markets;

emphasis was placed

life

on

individual expression in daily

and the war-

like arts.

Although vestiges of craftsmanship

remain, and a degree of rebirth of

tliis

and other
,

ancient art forms appears to be at hand

the

continuous evolution of the art of small metal

sculpture represented by sword fittings

came to

an end.

Makers of Sword Furnishings: IMajor Schools and Artists

Iron

Tsuba
Kyo-sukashi
In

Kyoto, beginning around 1400, these elegant,

thin, black

designs,

tsuba were made in a variety of some combining positive and negative

silhouettes.

The

earliest are

sometimes

called

Heianjo-sukashi. after the original

name

of

KyotoWe/a/7 /(yo "Capital

quility."

of

Peace and Traninto

Tsuba of

this type

were produced
in

modern times. Represented

the Cooper-Hewitt

collection are classic designs of cranes, Buddhist

prayer wheels, water under a bridge, plum blos-

soms, and gourds, carved

openwork. (Nos. 4,5). The

in

positive silhouette

relatively long

and

nar-

row oval seppa dai surrounding the

ing

central open-

adds

to their graceful

appearance.

Shoami
During Muromachi and

Momoyama,

this

school

Initially

somewhat smaller

in size

than previously

produced openworl< tsuba whose symmetry and

sense of movement were greatly appreciated. The
school attracted a vast army of students

mentioned types, these strongly defined open-

work tsuba were made

of excellent iron.

The

who
in

greatest artist of this school, Myoju,

worked dur-

spread throughout Japan, producing tsuba

ing the

Momoyama

period, producing exquisite

wide variety of

styles.

It

has been said that tsuba were

inlays of soft metals into

copper or nut-brown

perhaps ten percent of

the Shoami.

all

made by

brass.

Owari
Tsuba were produced
in

Owari province from the

Muromachi period
always

into thie late seventeenth

and

early eighteenth centuries (No. 6).

As was almost

true, the earlier creations are the purest

and best examples

of the school.
in

Owari tsuba are

generally extremely powerful

tion, often

design and execu-

symmetrical both top to bottom and

side to side, have squared rims thicker than the

body and

deep black patina.

mixture of

differ-

ent kinds of iron produced heavy, irregular

bumps

(tekkotsu) on the rim's edge. Tsuba of other

schools
ter,

may

also have tekkotsu of varying charac-

a feature which
classifying

may be

helpful in identifying

and

them. Owari tsuba are much

prized today, their quiet strength

seeming to

embody the

spirit of

the samurai warrior.

Kamakura
Rather large tsuba (often 3y2 inches
in

Kanayama
diameter)
in

This school, working

similar,

with naturalistic and geometric designs

very
in

in Owari province, produced though less massive tsuba. The "purple

is

low

relief,

chased and engraved, were made

the

iron of

Kanayama"

justly

famous.

town

of

Kamakura during the Muromachi and

periods.

Momoyama
in

The surfaces
7),

of these thin
later,

tsuba were usually solid (No.

but

motifs
is

negative silhouette were added. Their patina

that of the Kyoto

more brown than

province tsuba.

and Owari

Inlaid Iron

Tsuba

Onin
The so-called Onin
after the
style
style

Heianjo
developed during and

Perhaps a generation passed between the creation

of the
first

end

of the

Onin era (1467-1468), so the

Onin styles and the appearance

in

the

name does
its

not entirely relate to the era. The

inlay,

Kyoto region of the more elaborate, brass-inlaid

iron

used was of good quality and the brass

guards known as Heianjo tsuba (Nos.

9, 10). six-

due to

composition, has a characteristic deep

These were made throughout most of the

yellow-brown color Onin designs are easily recognized: holes

in

teenth and into the seventeenth century. In contrast to the

initially

brass nails were

hammered

into

Onin technique of inlay

in

which

the iron to form nail-head designs:

later,

engraving

in

the brass preceded the inlaying,

brass wire
create

was

inlaid into

precut channels to

Heianjo engraving
inlay

was

generally

done

after the

complex

naturalistic designs.
is

fine

exam-

was

set

in

place.

These technical differences

of brass in the latter

ple of this technique (No. 8)

found

in

the

and the more generous use

Cooper-Hewitt collection.

designs help to distinguish between the two.

Yoshiro
In

the mid-sixteenth century, the art of brass inlay

and smooth surface resemble painting more than

inlay.

into iron

reached

its

zenith

in

the

work
the

ot Koike
first

Large schools of excellent artists worked

in

in

Yoshiro Naomasa. He

was among

of the

the Yoshiro style

the

Momoyama and Edo

eras

tsuba makers to sign his productions, and with

(No. 11).

good reason;

his

workmanship and

artistry in this

technique have never been surpassed. His tsuba

are relatively large, with designs of vines, flowers

and family crests. Unlike Onin and Heianjo

style

tsuba, Yoshiro inlay does not stand above the

surface of the iron but

is flat;

the intricacy of inlay

Primarily Iron Tsuba of

Late

Momoyama and Edo

Kaneiye
As
the

Nobuiye
most famous tsuba
artists of

Muromachi period drew

pendulum began
to

to a close, the

Kaneiye, one of the

the
rial,

There appear to have been two major generations

of

artistic

swing toward a less

Momoyama era, made the first

iron tsuba.

signed, picto-

Nobuiye

artists, several

contemporaneous pro-

severe expression of beauty The stern, simple

These are superb, red-brown,

vincial schools,

and many nineteenth- century

designs of the

men

of Owari,

and of the sword-

solid iron guards,

smiths and armorers, were gradually superseded

chased

in

low

to

whose pastoral scenes are medium relief and sparsely inlaid

copyists. Tsuba of the

two major

f\lobuiye

masters

were

thick, with delicate tekkotsu in the rims; their

by designs whose specific purpose was to touch

the eye as

with gold and silver Oddly enough, though tsuba

of the early years of this school are considered the

grey-black to brown-black iron exhibited a lumi-

much

as the heart. True artists

nous surface. The

teristically

artists

produced characof flowers

appeared, one of

whom

Koike Yoshiro

Naomasa

epitome

of the art

today and were much

in

vogue

deep engravings

and vines,

has been mentioned.

when

first

made, they were out

of favor within a

tortoise-shell patterns

and other

naturalistic

short time of their production. The desire for soft

designs.

metal tsuba
eclipsed the

in

the early seventeenth century

of Kaneiye,

A few
until

other major artists, including

this

work

and

it

was

not

Yamakichi and Hoan also signed tsuba during

period.

almost 1800 that these tsuba were

ted again At that time there
.

fully

apprecia-

was such

resurgence of desire for the older, simpler ways

among

the warriors that had there been ten

in

thousand of these tsuba

scarcely have been

existence there would

to
fill

enough

the

demand. Of
and

course, by then there were only a few available, so

the artisans of the day

came

to the rescue

turned out "Kaneiye" tsuba as fast as they could

sign them.

Signed Iron Tsuba of Muromachi

and Momoyama

The

excellent metalworking techniques achieved

by the end of Muromachi were further refined with

the passage of time.

The schools

of Kaneiye

and

Nobuiye were hard

at

work. The Shoami

artists

were spreading throughout the country eventually

producing tsuba of every imaginable variety
in

over eighteen provinces, and great schools of

armorers, particularly the Myochin and Saotome

(No. 12), were
in full

production.

It

was

not long

before other large schools of tsuba makers

developed.

Higo
From the end
of

Momoyama
tsuba

into early Edo. the

feudal lord of Higo province patronized

some

of

the greatest of

all

artists. Hirata

Hikozo of

Higo
per,

is

known

for

guards of deep red-brown cop-

engraved with designs of wave ripples, broad

variety of incised
is
its

open hitsu-ana. and a

styles. His

and

inlaid

"trademark"

a special

added rim
decoration

{Odowara fukurin) with

of dots

own simple

and

lines.

The Nishigaki school was founded by

Hikozo 's student Kanshiro.
rily

who produced
line

prima-

lustrous

openwork

iron tsuba, often of

paulonia designs (No. 13). Sparse

[kebori)
is

engraving
in

also found, as are rare examples

brass (No. 14).

Shimizu Jingo and

his

school produced

thick, strong, black iron tsuba inlaid with large

patterns
eagles.

in

brass.

He

is

most famous

for his fierce

Hayashi MatashichI and his school pro-

duced both openwork and

inlaid

tsuba. often

using a marvelous double-wire scrolling technigue. His

work

in this

only by Kamiyoshi Rakuju,

medium is approached who produced similar

masterpieces

in

Higo

at a later date.

The Akasaka school

Although no physical connection exists between
the Akasaka masters of

Hikonebori
The founder
of the school,

Kitagawa Soten, was a

in

Edo

city

and the Higo

is

resident of the

town

of

Hikone

Omi province

in

masters

in

Kyushu, some Akasaka work

similar

the late seventeenth century Soten adapted the

style of carving iron figures in the

to that of

Higo province.
dealer and tsuba maker, Hikobei,
his best students in the

round (maru-

A Kyoto moved
school
first

bori).

producing highly

pictorial

tsuba decorated

to

Edo with

mid-

with excellent inlay His subjects were taken from

old paintings, frequently of battles,

seventeenth century and founded the Akasaka

in

and are treated

well

the district of that

name. The work

of the

with great attention to detail

received that large
in

His

work was so

four Akasaka masters

is

strong, the earliest

numbers
all

of copies

were made

using their

own

designs. The addition of Higo

the nineteenth century,

signed with his

name

designs to the original Akasaka styles created a

varied style

(No. 16).

most appreciated

in

the

mid-Edo

era.

There were eight generations of masters

school.

in this

By the end
characteristic

of the eighteenth century the

style

Akasaka

had disappeared, and can scarcely be

the

work

of later

Akasaka

artists

differentiated

from other contemporary schools

(No. 15).

17

Jakushi
Jakushi (died 1707)

Kinai
was
a painter turned tsuba At the end of

Momoyama,
in

the Kinal and other

maker, and a resident of Nagasaki. His classic

schools were active

Echizen province. Founded

works are Chinese landscapes with mountain

villages

byTakahashi
very

Kinai, this

school produced

jet-

and seashores, carved

with gold cresting the

of fine iron in
hills

black, glowing iron tsuba carved in relief

tive silhouette

and posi-

low

relief

and

highlight-

openwork.

Common

designs

ing other areas.

The

inlay

was

applied using a
("cloth inlay") tech-

include dragons, hollyhocks, and other flowers

characteristic

nunomezogan

and grass,

typified

by a

fine

example

in

the

nique (No. 17). His school continued into the

nineteenth century

Museum's

collection (No. 18).

Choshu
At least eight families were at work from the

cover the entire surface of the tsuba (Nos. 19,

20a, b) using motifs of animals, birds, dragons,

seventeenth century onward

in

Choshu province

(now Nagato
the
first.

prefecture), of

which the Nakai was

in

and Chinese landscapes, among others. High

relief inlay

Choshu designs were worked

in

three
relief relief

was used

in later

years.

styles:

openwork carving

the round; low

with chasing and

flat inlay;

and high and low

without

inlay,

including elaborate designs that

19

to
The
Ito

school originated with

in

Ito

IVIasatsugu

around 1600

the

town

of to

Odowara. A descen-

dant, IVlasatsune,

moved

Edo

city (later

Tokyo)

where ten generations

of Ito

masters sub-

sequently worked. The "thread piercing" decorative

technique (Ito-sukashi)
is

commonly

associated

with this school

method

of piercing the tsuba

with incredibly fine

saw

cuts to form pictorial

relief

designs (No. 21). Other styles include low

landscape carving, and carving

eral

in

the round. Sev-

schools, including the

fittings,

Ito,

also produced soft

grain)

metal

using the

mokume (wood

technique (No. 22) and guriborl, a metallic imitation of

carved layered lacquer (No. 23). The

a

Ito in

Edo were among

number

of schools

producing

similar work; collectively these schools are

referred to as the

Bushu schools.

22

23

Namban
The
arrival of

westerners

in

Japan during the

intertwined iron cords (No. 24).

somewhat

seventeenth century, and the subsequent conversion of a

resembling European sword guards. Early

Nam-

number

of

samurai to

Christianity,

gave

ban tsuba are

rare, since

many were

destroyed

rise to a type of iron

tsuba called

Namban

(south-

during two centuries of repression of Christianity.

ern barbarian), a term that refers to people and

things of foreign origin. Although the style origi-

nated
are

in

the seventeenth century

most examples
first

from the nineteenth. They were probably

the port city of Nagasaki where

made around
most
later

of the

European traders were sequestered;

in

years the style

was produced

in

many areas.

There are three

common

types: those with a cross

prominently displayed; those with carvings of

foreigners or foreign motifs; and those having a

woven

texture or design of overlapping

and

other Edo Period Ironworkers

Many
tive

other primarily ironwork schools were ac.

during the Edo period

For the

most

part they

produced interesting and varied designs, usually

in

openwork, with sparse inlay

in

Among

those

found
the

the Cooper-Hewitt Collection are those of

Sunagawa (No. 25) and others produced by

Hizen and Mito provinces (Nos. 26, 27).

artists of

Mention might be made of Edo period

brass-decorated tsuba

made for export,

or for

some wearers

of

swords whose aesthetic staninlaid

dards had declined. Bits of brass wire were

into early or late iron

guards
in

in

patterns that

mimicked pine needles

Brass wire was
iron

water (gomokuzogan).
the cores of other
intricate

wound around

tsuba (shingen) to create

woven

pat-

terns (No. 28), or

sometimes curved brass wires

guards
in

were hammered

into the

centipede-like

designs (mukade)

Early Kinko Tsuba

29

Irogane ko tsuba
While the iron tsuba of the Heian, Kamal<ura and

Kagamishi
Small bronze mirrors, probably
first of

The

earliest soft

metal tsuba, including those fashin this

Chinese

Muromachi periods were being produced,

were also creating
soft metal tsuba.

artists

ioned from the ancient periods, are included

and Korean, and

found
in burial

later,

Japanese origin have been

By the end

of

group. Artists

who produced

soft metal fittings,

mounds. From the Heian period

T'ang

Muromachi,

strikingly colored

and

inlaid soft
in

mainly oiyamagane to be used with the tachi type

of

beautifully decorated mirrors inspired by

metal fittings had appeared, particularly

Kyoto

sword, are called tachi kanagushi (tachi

fitting

dynasty (618-907 A.D.) imports had been pro-

and

in

Mino province. The

still

classification of these

maker). Muromachi soft metal workers

primarily the "luxury" alloys

who used
All

duced by kagamishi (mirror makers).

It

was
flat,

artists is

in

a state of flux.

made

with precious

probably inevitable that the shape of these

metals, such as shakudo, are called ko-kinko.

the succeeding schools of soft metal workers

decorative, bronze discs should be associated

with the similar size and shape of the tsuba. In the

evolved from these

unknown craftsmen.

Muromachi period tsuba were made (probably

the mirror maker's foundries)
of the old mirrors (No. 29).
in

in

precisely the style

These were usually of

Unlike the old mir-

cast bronze and

rors,

yamagane.

one side

of

which was smoothly polished,

kagamishi tsuba were decorated on both sides.

Kinko Tsuba Schools

The application
niques

of the ancient soft metal techin

The surface

into

which the

artist inlaid

was advanced by improvements

tools

colored pictures could be

smooth or

textured.

and the use of varied alloys and metals. To the

blue-black of shakudo and the silver greys and

Several techniques of texturing the surface were

in

use:

hammering and gouging {tsushime);

ele-

browns
gold,

of shibuichi

were added the colors

of

roughening {ishime); and punching regular

silver,

copper, lead and bronze, giving the

vated dots over the surface (nanako). Inlay tech-

Japanese metalworker an unsurpassed range of

hues and
tints to

niques included
inlay"

nunomezogan,

called "cloth

be used

in

decorating the tsuba.

due to the
into a

fact that a thin sheet of inlay

was

hammered

cross-hatched surface resem,

bling fabric,
in

and hon zogan a true

inlaid material

inlay

technique

which the

was

inserted into pre-

cut channels, the edges of which were then

ham-

mered back over the

flat,

inlay True inlays could be

or might project above the surface of the

tsuba. Chiselling and chasing techniques include

both sunken and raised

vertical

relief.

Chisel cuts with

(katakiri)

one

and one sloped edge

were made

to resemble calligraphic brush strokes, while simpler engraving

was used as

well. Several tech-

niques of surface piercing were used; negative

silhouette

openwork could be

limited to a small

area; or the entire tsuba could be pierced to create

both negative and positive silhouette patterns.

W^-,

33

31

Goto
The importance
of the

Goto family

in

the develof

shakudo and gold.

Perfectly sculpted decorations,

opment

of the soft metal arts

from the end

including lions and heraldic

symbols were placed

of the fittings

Muromachi up
main

to the twentieth century

cannot be
in

on the deep, black surfaces

which

overestimated. There were sixteen masters

line of
in

the

were given added texture with minute raised dots

[nanako). The nanako technique, used
refined
in less

the family and almost three hundred

others

the eight branches (Nos. 30, 31, 32,

form from the

earliest eras,

was brought

33, 34). The main line of masters wo'ked for

the court and, with few exceptions,

to

its

peak of excellence by the Goto. No tsuba are

to have been

made
to

only

known
tings

soft metal fittings. Every kinko school after

but subsequent generations

made by the first four Goto, made both small fitopposed

Muromachi was influenced by the Goto

extent and large

some
Most

and sword guards. Goto work for the court

numbers

of copies exist.

was
to

called "family carving" (iyebori). as

of the copies are inferior to the jewel-like of the

work

"town carving" {machiboh) produced by other

Goto masters.

local artists.

The main

line, called

Goto Shirobei, was

later

Although the fame of the Goto Shirobei

rested on the original formula of

founded by Masaoku (1439-1512),

Yujo.

known as

shakudo back-

He fashioned

beautiful small fittings of

ground, textured with nanako on which was

applied
gilt

and

inlaid

decoration, one of the

Ichijo

greatest Goto,

named

(1791-1876), pro-

duced a great variety

iron tsuba; these

of fittings, including

some

were signed with various

of the

pseudonyms because
work was
rendered

Goto proscription

against iron. However, Ichijo 's

in in

most

beautiful

soft metal, with naturalistic

scenes

exquisite detail. Ichijo also produced

many
work

excellent
is

and well-trained students whose

of great interest (No. 35).

Hirata
Examples
from
of cloisonne

Yokoya
enamel had been imported

Yanagawa
many
students of the Goto, none are
the Yokoya. There
is

Among

the

Yanagawa Naomasa (1691-1757)

of

Edo was the

Cfiina

by the seventeenth century; this tech-

more important than

ter of the school, but

some
mas-

founder of the Yanagawa school, which was active through the nineteenth century. Fittings with
extensive inlaid decoration
cal of
rial

nique was used as a decorative element on sw^ord

fittings shortly thereafter.

question about the actual identity of the

it

first

The Hirata school,

is

believed to have been

in

high

relief

were

typi-

founded by Dojin (also

produced the

called Donin, died 1646),

Soyo, a Goto pupil

tury.

in

the mid-seventeenth cen-

the school. Also noteworthy

was

their picto-

finest w/orks of this type until the late

Both he and his famous adopted son Somin

in

soft metal work, of

in

which a

typical

example

is

nineteenth century. Copper alloys, iron and other

worked
inlays

the classic Goto style, with high

relief

found
Early

the Cooper-Hewitt Collection (No. 37).

are similar to those of the

metals w/ere used as the base, and cloisons,

usually of gold
,

on a shakudo nanako surface. The Yokoya

is

Yanagawa fittings

were

affixed to small areas of the

school

best known, however, for pictorial

Goto school since the

artists

were strongly
of the Goto.

influ-

surface and

filled

with enamel. Designs included

engravings which imitated the brush strokes of

enced by the Yokoya, students

As

Buddhist symbols, birds and figures. Early

contemporary

painters.

Somin popularized

his

was

the case with

most tsuba schools, nineteenth

enamel was

largely

opaque, but Donin developed

technique after leaving the Shogun's court and

breaking away from the Goto stringencies. He

century production

was dominated by craftsmanfit-

a striking translucent

enamel which, by the

characteristic of the

ship rather than art, and exeedingly gaudy

tings
of

eighteenth century,

became

was
the

the classic example of the "town carving"

were the

result.

Two

other schools, the

school (No. 36).

tradition,

and

his

work reduced the dominance

Haruaki and the Tanaka, followed the Yanagawa,

work done

at court.

Somin made small

fittings

producing their
metal
fittings,

and some tsuba, frequently decorated with

Chinese figures and gods.

lions,

own some

varieties of pictorial soft

of their early

work

of the

highest quality.

Omori
Another of the schools influenced by the Yokoya,
the
far

Nara
Together with the Goto and the Yokoya, the Nara
school set the standards of Edo period sword
tings.
fit-

Hamano
The Hamano
of Edo, the

most prominent

of the

Omori

is

among

the few

in

which
fifth

later

masters

schools influenced by the three Nara masters,

originated with Masayuki (1695-1769), later called

outshone the founder. The

Omori master,

Although early Nara work

in

may have been

Teruhide (1729-1798) originated the technique of

done
line

Kyoto

in

the sixteenth century the mainin

Shozui.

pupil of Toshinaga,

he worked

in iron

undercut waves which flowed across the surface

of the fittings (No. 38).

school originated

the seventeenth century

iron

and

soft metal, depicting a variety of subjects

and

He

also perfected the art

with Toshiteru,

who made

tsuba

at

the Sho-

especially mythological

and

battle scenes.

The

of inlaying tiny gold dots {haze) into the surface to

gun's court. Toshiteru, and eight subsequent masters

large

Hamano
in

family

worked

into the nineteenth

resemble the spattered-gold decoration seen on

lacquer

and many students, produced creditable

line,

century, and produced

many

excellent pictorial

work. The main

however, was eclipsed by

in

works

both high and low

relief

(Nos. 39, 40).

three of the greatest artists

fittings:

the history of sword

The Iwama and Hata

families followed the

Toshinaga, Joi, and Yasuchika; these

Hamano

style of high relief

work.

three masters are called the /Vara sansaku.

Toshinaga (1667-1737) produced bold, high

solid

relief,

and fully-carved tsuba with elaborate atten-

tion to detail.

He used

iron at first, but later

added

soft metal to his

armamentarium. While

Toshinaga was producing his masterpieces, a

young man some

arrived
in

thirty-three years his junior

Edo and studied under the master This

Joi,

was Sugiura

who soon began

to develop his

own

personal technique of low

relief

carving on
still

slightly

concave tsuba while he was

under the
differ-

tutelage of the master

whose

style

was so

ent from his own.

The name
artists,

of the last of the three

Nara
of

Yasuchika, probably heads the

list

the greatest artists of

sword
in

fittings.

When
in

Yasuchika, born

in

Shonai

1670, arrived

Edo,

the leading artists were the Goto at court and

Somin
gar
It

in

the

town Both looked upon

.

iron as vul-

was Yasuchika, perhaps more than any

artist,

other

who

broke the established rules by

pictorial, inlaid

producing major,
tsuba. He

brass and iron

combined the

soft metal

work

of the
in

Goto and Yokoya with a wide variety of subjects

many techniques, and was

ing in iron as
in

as comfortable work-

soft metal. Classic Yasuchika sub-

jects include birds in the rain, representations of

Kano

style paintings, animals,

in

and people. The

master died

1744.

40

The

inlay Schools
inlay

Kaga and Awa

soft
in

Although

work was produced by every

metal school, the artists of Kaga province

Hon-

shu and

Awa

province

in

Shikoku are famous for

their extensive

use of

this decorative technique.

Awa
first,

artists

produced two

styles of tsuba. In the

openwork designs taken from nature were

flat

highlighted with extensive

inlay of gold wire

in

and

leaf.

The other

style

(found

much Shoami
copper

work)

made generous use

of gold or

nunomezogan
a single inlaid

(No. 41) on iron or brass.

large

area of a tsuba, for example, might be covered by

dragon design. The

artists of

Awa
fre-

also produced tsuba called ken/o that

were

quently used as gifts

among

officials.
in

This style,

originating with the artist Jiuchiya

Kyoto,

was

also followed

in

Kaga. The surfaces of these tsuba

were

practically

covered

in flat

gold "cloth inlay"

in floral

patterns or other designs (No. 42).

Several schools worked

in

Kaga,

Some

tsuba were

made

here by Goto artists

commis-

sioned by the Daimyo of Kaga, and are typical

Goto high

relief inlay

on textured stiakudo. Most

Kaga

fittings,

however, are of the true inlay (hon

zogan)

variety,

which was

first

used

in

Kaga

for

decorating armor and iron stirrups. Kaga work

often used designs of insects and flowers inlaid

with metals of different colors. Their technique

results in a

somewhat sharper

inlay than that of

Awa

(No. 43).

44a

43
Ichinomiya
The founder
of this school

Iwamoto
was Nagatsune (1722Somin and the Nara

Konkwan (1743-1801) was

Iwamoto
artists
in

the finest of the

excellent soft

1786), an artist

who

rivalled

who produced

masters as the greatest "town carver" of the

eighteenth century. His
In his

metal work

Edo during the eighteenth century

for his designs of

most notable tsuba, made

large senfo/ru (brass alloy)
inlaid pictures, often of
In

He

is

well

known

marine

life

and

early days,

were

figures, of

which the

Museum
b).

collection has fine

guards with carved and

examples (Nos. 44a,

hunting scenes. These were often

high

relief,

and were signed with the name "Setsuzan." Later

In his

career he produced smaller Inlaid and

engraved soft metal tsuba.

Ishiguro
The founder Yanagawa
of
tfiis

Mito
famous
offsfioot of fhe

Natsuo
Momoyama
period, the

During the
Mito
in

Daimyo

of of

Kano Natsuo, probably the most distinguished

the late nineteenth century masters, lived from

of

scfiool

was Ishiguro Masatsune

a crisp
relief inlay of

the Hitachi province imported a

number

(1760-1823).

He developed

artists

from Kyoto. These

artists

were joined by

1828-1898.

Bom

in

Kyoto, he derived

many
new
Meiji

multicolored metals on various grounds (No. 45).

Typical Ishiguro subjects are
ers.

others from Edo and elsewhere during the

eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

designs from the

For eight years he

Maruyama school
was designer

of painting.

The Ishiguro

style attracted

game birds and flowmany students

until Meiji

schools developed
ative

in

Mito, but while

A number of some cre-

of the

coins for the Osaka mint. Later he

became

profes-

and a large school was active

times.

and admirable
.

soft metal
,

work was produced

workers were

sor of metalwork

at

the Tokyo school of art. His

is

there (Nos 46 47)

,

many
of

of the

work was

quite varied, but

characterized by a

simply copyists responsible for the clever

forgeries of the

three dimensional effect produced by engraving,

works

well-known

artists.

surface carving, and high

relief inlay

Many

of his

Indeed, by the nineteenth century this vocation

designs have the "stop motion" effect of having

had become
foremost

common

in

artist of

the Mito

many areas. The Unno Shomin

,

been captured by a camera; flowers blowing

,

in

the

left

wind,

fish leaping

from water, and many other

his

early in his career to

work for the

Meiji

court into

such subjects added to

fame. Certainly

it

is fit-

the early twentieth century.

ting that this brief discussion of

tsuba and their

of the

makers should end with Natsuo, one

greatest masters of the art.

Dr Henry Rosin

45

Bibliography
Bowes,
Sir

James, Notes on Shippo: A Sequel

to

"The Sword Ornaments

of the

Goto Shirobei

Family,"
9,

Japanese Enamels, Kegan

Ltd.,

Paul, Trench, Trubner

&

Co.,

Minutes of the Japan Society, London, December

1908.

London, 1895.

CaldweN, Randolph

B,

(editor),

The Book of ttie Sword,

Okabe, Kakuya, Japanese Sword Guards,

FineArts, Boston, 1908.

Museum

of

Token KenkyuKai,
Church,
Sir Arthur,

Dallas, 1972.

Japanese Sword Guards: Sonne

Robinson, Basil William, The Arts of the Japanese

Tsuba

in

the Collection of Sir Arthur H. Church,

Sword, Rutland, Vermont, 1961.

Robinson, H. Russell, Japanese

Reading, England, 1914.

Arms and Armour,

Gunsaulus, Helen C. Japanese Sword Mounts

,

In the

New

York, 1969.

Collection of the Field

Museum.

Field

Museum

of

Natural History, Publication 216; Anthropological Series,

V.16, Chicago, 1923.

Rucker, Robert H.,The

Goda

Collection of Japanese

Sword Fittings
York, 1924.

in the

Metropolitan

Museum

of Art,

New

Hara, Shinkichi, Die Melster der Japanlschen

Schwertzleraten, Verlag des

Museums fUr

Kunst und

Sansom,

Sir

George B.,A History of Japan. 3

vols.

Gewerbe, Hamburg, 1931.

Joly, Henri L.,

New

York, 1949; reprinted Cresset Press, London, 1964.

Walter

L.

Behrens Collection Catalogue,

1913-1914;

Sasano, Masayuki, Early Japanese Sword Guards:

part

III,

Glendinning

reprinted Paragon,

& Co. Ltd., London, New York, 1966.

Sukashi Tsuba. Japan Publications

1972.

Inc.,

San Francisco,

Japanese Sword Fittings: A Descriptive Catalogue of

the Collection ofG.H. Naunton, Esq., Tokio Printing
Co., Reading, England, 1912 (private printing); reprinted

Tosogu no kigen: The Origins of Japanese Sword

Fittings (in Japanese), Tokyo, 1979; (private printing).

Stern, Harold

B..The Magnificent Three: Lacquer.

Los Angeles, 1973.

Netsuke. and Tsuba,

New York,

1972.

Japanese Sword-Mounts: A Descriptive Catalogue of

the Collection ofJ.C.

Stone, George C..A Glossary of the Construction,

Hawkshaw, London,
J.

1910.

Decoration and Use of Arms and Armor. Southworth

Legend In Japanese Art,

Lane Co., London and

New

Press, Portland, Maine, 1934; reprinted Jack Brussel,

York, 1908; reprinted Rutland, Vermont, and Tokyo,

New

York, 1961.

1967.

Yumoto, John M..The Samurai Sword: A Handbook.

Rutland, Vermont, 1959.

Shosankenshu, Holland Press, London, 1963.

Kidder, Jonathan

E. Early Japanese Art,

Princeton,

New

Jersey, 1964.

Mosie, Alexander G. Japanese Works of Art, Armour,

,

Weapons. Sword

Fittings, Lacquer, Pictures. Textiles.

Colour-Prints Selected
Portfolio
1,

From The Mosie

Collection.

E.A.

Seemann,

Leipzig, 1914.

Glossary
Aoi
Tsuba
style;

Haze
shaped
like

Katchushi
Iron tsuba with thin centers

four heart-shaped leaves.

Inlaying of tiny gold dots.

and raised rims, probably

the products of armorers.

Ashi
Fittings encircling tachi

Hitsu-ana
scabbard for attaching hanging

Openings

in

a tsuba for passage of kozuka and kogai-

Kebori
Engraving.

cords,

Hoju

Bushido
Literally,

Ancient, oval, copper-gilt tsuba style.

of the warrior"; the ethical

Kenjo tsuba
Usually unsigned, extensively decorated inlaid tsuba,

"way

code

of the

samurai.

Hon zogan
"True inlay" technique; one metal
is

made mainly
hammered
into

in

the Kyoto,

Awa and Kaga

provinces, and

primarily for presentation to officials.

Daisho
Literally,

channels

in

another.

"large-small"; the

two paired swords

the swords.

of the

Kinko
Ishime
Metalworking technique which produces rough, stonelike

samurai, or paired

fittings for

Work

in

soft metals

copper, brass, bronze and alloys.

Fuchi
Flat

surface.

Kogai
Skewer-like
fitting

metal band which encircles the sword

hilt

at the

worn

in

a housing within the katana

tsuba end.

Ishizuki
Metal end cap enclosing the
tip of

scabbard.
a tachi scabbard.

Fukurin
Separate rim around the tsuba edge.

Koiguchi
Ito-sukashi
"Thread piercing"; metal openwork technique employing
fine

Metal ring at scabbard entrance.

Gomoku zogan
Literally, "dirt inlay";

saw

cuts.

brass wire mimicking floating pine

Kojiri Ornamented cap around the end

of the scabbard

needles.

lye bori
"Family carving"; refers to the Goto

who worked

for the

Ko-kinko
Early soft-metal work.

Guri bori
Metalworking technique, imitating Guri lacquer; thin
sheets of fused metals of different color are cut
in

Court.

Ji-ita

Koshirae
strip of the

V-shaped grooves, exposing colored

layers.

The decorated
separately

kozuka or kogai, often made

Complete mountings of a sword.

Kozuka
Kabuto-gane
Metal

Small knife worn

in

a housing with the katana scabbard.

hilt

pommel

of a tachi

sword

hilt.

Also used to refer to the kozuka

alone.

Kagamishi tsuba
Mirror-maker's tsuba.

Machi bori
"Town carving"; sword
Court.
fittings

made by

artists not at

Kamakuri
Low
city.

bori
in

relief

carving style used

and around Kamakura

Maru bori
Carving of figures
in

the round

Kashira
Metal

Mekugi
of a katana

pommel

sword.

pin, usually of
in

bamboo, which passes through

hilt

openings

the sword

and blade tang, holding the

Katana
Curved, single-edged sword worn edge up
in

tang firmly within the

a scabbard

hilt.

thrust through the sash. Usually paired with wakizashi.

Menuki
Small decorative ornaments attached to either side of the

sword

hilt.

Mimi
Rim
of the tsuba.

Mitokoromono
A matched
set of

Saya
Scabbard.

Taka zogan
Relief inlay.

kozuka, kogai and menuki.

Mokume
Metalworking technique that imitates

Sekigane
wood gram.
A
piece of metal, usually copper, fitted within the blade
fit

Tanto
Dirk-like

sword one foot or

less in length.

opening of tsuba to tighten the

of the blade.

Mon
Family crest.

Tekkotsu

Sentoku
Alloy of brass, tin

Literally,

"iron bones"; the mixture of different qualities

easily

and

lead.

of iron

produced small hard elevations, most

Mukade
Metalworking design resembling the shape of
centipedes.

discerned on tsuba rims; generally indicates hand

Seppa
Oval metal washers encircling the tang of the blade on
either side of the tsuba.

forged, usually early ironwork.

Tosho
Iron tsuba with thick centers

Nakago
The tang
of a

and

thin rims, probably the

sword

blade; the

segment

of the blade

SeppadaJ
Flat,

product of swordsmiths.

within the

hilt.

oval elevation surrounding the central opening on a

tsuba.

Tsuka
Hilt

Namban
Literally,

of the sword.

"southern barbarians"; term designating things

Shakudo
Alloy of copper

of foreign origin.

and gold; when

treated, the alloy

is

blue-

Tsushime
Hammenng and
tsuba.

black

in color.

gouging to produce surface texture on

Nanako
Literally, "fish

roe"; surface texture technique consisting

Shibuichi
Alloy of

of producing regulariy

spaced

tiny elevated

knobs.

copper and
in

silver;

when

treated, the alloy

is

grey

Udenuki-ana
Two
small openings
in

to

brown

color

some tsuba for the passage

of a

Nerikawa
Tsuba
style;

cord which

was then

tied to the wrist.

tsuba

made

of

hardened leather

Shingen
Tsuba
style;

brass wire

is

wound around an

iron

tsuba

Ura
Reverse side of the tsuba; the side which faces the blade.

Niku bori
Relief carving.

core.

Shishiai bori

Wakizashj
Short sword one to two feet
the katana.
in

Nunome zogan
Literally,

Sunken
is

relief

carving.

length; usually paired with

"cloth inlay"; gold leaf

hammered

into cross-

hatches on the surface of the

fitting.

Shitogi
Tsuba
style;
if

made

in

the shape a rice-cake would

in

Yamagane
Unrefined copper.

Omote
Front side of the tsuba; the side which faces the
hilt

assume
of

squeezed

the hand,

i.e.

long, thin center

and

flared

wider ends.

the sword.

Zogan
Sukashi
Inlay

Same
Ray
skin,

Openwork
used to cover sword
hilt.

carving.

Tachi
Curved single-edged sword worn edge down
scabbard hung from cords.
in

Tachi kanagushi
TachI
fitting

maker

Captions
la.b
ShItogI type

9
Heianjo style

18
Kinai school

Tsuba: Floral design

Tsuba; Paulonia branch

Late 16th century; iron, brass inlay (hon zogan)

Tsuba; Dragon and jewel

Early 18th century; iron

Probably 12th century; yamagane, gold inlay

7.

marubori

5X5.9 cm.

(1936-4-381)

8.7X8.7 cm. (1936-4-30)

7.7X7.5 cm. (1936-4-233)

10
KatchushI type
Tsuba;
Heianjo style

19
Kawaji

Tomotomi

(died 1754); 5th Kawaji master of

Comet and cherry blossoms

Tsuba; Morning glory vine

17th century; iron, brass inlay

Choshu
(hon zogan)
Tsuba;

16th century; iron sukashi

sahai, or military baton

8.9X8.8 cm.

(1936-4-18)

8.5X8.2 cm.
11

(1936-4-33)

Early 18th century; iron

marubori: gold zogan

7.9X7.6 cm.
Tosho type
Tsuba; Gourds
16th century; Iron sukashi
8.

(1936-4-351)

Bizen Yoshiro style, early Edo

20a, b
Okamoto Toyonobu;
Choshu
Tsuba daisho: Peony and phoenix
Mid-19th century; iron marubori
7th master of

Tsuba; Family crests

Late 16th century; iron, brass inlay (hon zogan)

Okamoto school

of

5X8.3 cm.

(1936-4-384)

7.2X7.2 cm.

(1936-4-35)

12
Kyo-sukashi style
Tsuba;

7.6 X 7.3

cm;

7.3

X 7.0 cm. (1936-4-355,356)

Saotome school
Tsuba;

Chrysanthemum crane

Chrysanthemum

21
Nobuyuki,
Ito

17th century; iron sukashi

17th century; iron sukashi

school of Bushu
leaf

8.5X8.3 cm.

(1936-4-314)

10.2X10.2 cm. (1936-4-293)

Tsuba; Peony
19th century;

and butterfly

shakudo

13
Kyo-sukashi style
Tsuba;
Iris

6.9X6.5 cm. (1936-4-253)

School of Nishigaki Kanshiro (probably 2nd master)

Tsuba; Paulonia branch
17th century; iron sukashi

and plum blossom

22
Ito

17th century; iron sukashi

school

8.0X7.9 cm.

(1936-4-157)

8.3X8.0 cm. (1936-4-307)

Fuchi-kashira
19th century;

14
Owari school
Tsuba; Paulonia
leaf

shakudo and copper

mokume

3.8
Kanshiro school, Higo province

X 2.3 cm.; 3.4 X 2 cm. (1936-4-1036)

and family crest

Tsuba; Grass growing over relics

17th century; sentoku. with inlay,

left

on a

battlefield

23
Ito

17th century; iron sukashi

shakudo tukurin

school
(tsuba, kozuka and fuchi-kashira)

7.5X7.4 cm. (1936-4-1002)

8.3X7.6 cm. (1936-4-145)

Soroimono

19th century; shibuichi and copper

15
a;

7.8X7.2 cm.;

b;

11.4X1.9 cm.;

c;

3.0X2.1 cm,;

Kamakura school
Tsuba; Pagoda, bridge, and mountains
17th century; iron

Probably Akasaka school of Edo

Tsuba;
carving)

d:3.6X1.8cm. (1936-4-1001abcd)

Moon,

cricket,

and

torii

(shrine gate)

usu nikubori (low

relief

19th century; iron sukashi

24
Tsuba;

9.4X9.4 cm. (1936-4-53)

7.4X7.2 cm. (1936-4-330)

8
Onin school
Tsuba;

16
Signed "Soheishi NyudoSoten,"
a wheel
in

Namban style A collection of precious things 19th century; iron nunome zogan
7.5X7.4 cm. (1936-4-258)

the style of Hikone

Chrysanthemums and

province, school of Soten

17th century; iron, brass inlay (hon zogan)

Tsuba; Samurai on the march

19th century; iron marubori, gilding

7.5X6. 9 cm. (1936-4-62)

8.4X8.1 cm. (1936-4-186)

569

17
Jakushi school of (Nagasaki
Tsuba; Amaterasu, the sun goddess
18th century; iron, gold,

shakudo m\a\/(nunonne zogan)

8.5X7.9 cm. (1936-4-377)

25
Sunagawa MasayoshI
Tsuba: Dragon, clouds, and waves
Early 19th century; iron shishiaibori

33
Morimura Atsutaka
Kozuka: The goddess

40
Koryuken Masanaga

Kwannon mounted on

a dragon

Kozuka: The Chinese Kwan-Yu and attendant

About 1850; copper and shakudo,

shibuichi and gold zogan

gilding; reverse of

About 1800; shakudo. gold,

silver,

and copper ^ogan

7.6X7.2 cm. (1936-4-168)

9.7X1.5 cm. (1936-4-709)

26
Sctiool of MItsustiiro
in

9.7 XI. 5 cm. (1936-4-390)

41
Yagame
(Hizen province)

34
Yeiju

Awa
Hamidashi

province

Tsuba: "Ttiousand monkeys"

Early 19th century; iron nikubori

Kozuka: Plum and vine pattern

19th century; iron, gold

Tsuba: Dragon
19th century; iron, gold lukurin

nunome zogan

7.2X6.7 cm. (1936-4-247)

9.8X1.5 cm. (1936-4-1137)

27
Tenkodo Hidekuni (1825-1891), worked
Tsuba: Drying fish nets
in

5.4X3.7 cm. (1936-4-454)

42
in

Kyoto

35
lsobelsshu(lchijo school)
Tsuba: Golden snow; on reverse,
Late 19th century; shakudo, gold

Bairiuken Kiyonaga, worked

in

Kyoto

the evening
silver inlay

Tsuba: Pair of folding screens (Kenjo style)

Mid-19th century; iron, gold, and

moon and
zogan

flowers

19th century; iron, gold

nunomezogan

2.0X7.8 cm. (1936-4-847)

7.7X7.1 cm. (1936-4-1142)

28
"Shingen" type
Tsuba:

7.0X6.5 cm.

(1936-4-413)

43
36
Hirata school

Kaga province
Kozuka: Weeping willow
19th century; shakudo, gold, and silver
,

basket

18th century; iron, brass winding

Kozuka: Children's toys

19th century; copper,

zogan

11.3X11.2 cm. (1936-4-360)

shakudo zogan gold

wire,

9.6 XI. 5 cm. (1936-4-974)

29
Kagamishi style
Tsuba:

cloisonne enamel

9.8X1.6 cm. (1936-4-1124)

An imaginary
in

44a,b
Signed "Iwamoto Konkwan" (1755-1801)

river animal;

on the reverse,

37
Yanagawa school
Menuki:

Tsuba daisho: Daikoku and a

and a sea bream
warriors on horseback
18th century; shakudo,
a:

rat,

and the god Ebisu

a fisherman
15th century;

a small boat

yamagane

Two samurai

nanako surface, takazogan

8.0X8.0 cm. (1936-4-130)

18th century; shakudo, gilding

a:

7.7

X 7.2 cm;

b:

7.0 X 6.5 cm. (1936-4-642,643)

30
Goto school

3.2 X 2.0 cm.;

b:

3.2

X 2.0 cm. (1936-4-426ab)

45 38
(kogai, kozuka,

Ishiguro school

Mitokoromono

and menuki): Mizuhiki

Signed "Omori Teruhide" (1730-1798)

Fuchi-kashira:

Kozuka: Scarecrow dolls

Late 18th century; shakudo, gold zogan,

(cords used for tying up gifts)

19th century; gold, shibuichi, shakudo,
a: 21.1

"Omori wave"

nanako

nanako surface
cm.;

Late 18th century; shibuichi

a:

surface

X 1.2 cm.

b:

9.5X1.4 cm. ;c:

3. 5X1.4

3.8

X 2.3 cm.;

b:

3.5

2.1

cm. (1936-4-627ab)

9.8X1. 5cm. (1936-4-671)

d:3.5X1.4cm.(1936-4-910abcd)

39
Signed

46
"Hamano
Noriyuki" (died 1787)

31
Goto school
Kozuka: Warriors
in

Signed "Katsukuni"
Fuchi-kashira:
(kashira)

Menuki: Kwan-Yu and Chohi

battle

The gods Benten

(fuchi)

and Bishamon

under the eye of

their

18th century; shakudo, gilding

a:

commander
19th century; gold frame around

3.4

X 2.5 cm.;

b:

3.3

X 2.7 cm. (1936-4-560ab)

Late 18th century; shakudo, takazogan, gold

a:

shakudo

insert

(ji-ita)

3.9

X 2.4 cm.;

b:

3.4

1.7

cm. (1936-4-962ab)

9.7X1.5 cm. (1936-4-469)

47 32
Mitsumasa, Goto school
Menuki: Leopard and tiger
19th century; gold
a:

Mito school
Tsuba: Shoki, the demon-queller, and the
19th century; iron

demon

Oni

nanako surface

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