Materials and techniques

Patinated copper alloy, inlaid with gold, shakudo and copper
Brief description

Met, Japan, SF, AKAGIKEN/SADAMOTO
Physical description

The tsuba is the Japanese sword-guard and, as with so many Japanese functional objects, became a medium for artistic expression. The lower tsuba shows Gama sennin carrying his toad familiar. It is decorated in copper, gold and shakudo (a richly patinated alloy of gold and copper).
Dimensions

Height: 8.2cm
Width: 8.4cm

Style

Late Edo
Marks and inscriptions

Higashiyama Motonobu Koku (Japanese)

Object history

Purchased from Mr. H. Virtue Tebbs (St. John’s Gardens, Notting Hill), accessioned in 1888. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project.
Summary

As with so many Japanese functional objects, the sword guard (tsuba) became a medium for artistic expression, particularly during the 19th century, a time when the sword and its accessories become more decorative than functional. The lower guard in this image shows Gama Sennin (the mountain ascetic) carrying a toad – his familiar, the creature with which he is identified.