Tsuba with design of melon flowers. Muromachi or Momoyama period, 16th century.

Accession Number: TSU-0324

Category: Objects

Iron tsuba of slightly elongated round form decorated with design of melon flowers, vines, and leaves in brass flat inlay (hira-zōgan) on both sides. Slightly raised rim (mimi) carved in a way to simulate ring-shaped covering (fukurin). Kozuka hitsu-ana and kogai hitsu-ana both plugged with soft metal (tim or lead). Copper sekigane.

Heianjō or Kaga School.

Muromachi or Momoyama period, 16th century.

Iron, hira-zōgan brass inlay. Round (maru gata) form, diameter 79 mm.

Size: 80.3 x 78.4 mm; thickness at seppa-dai: 3.4 mm; at the middle: 3.8 mm; before the rim: 2.4 mm, rim: 2.8 mm.

Note on design: though this design resembles family crests with oak and mulberry leaves, I believe it's  a melon flower [see Jeanne Allen. Designer's guide to Samurai Patterns. Chronicle Books, San Francisco, 1990, page 114, №130 "Melon Flowers":

Jeanne Allen. Designer's guide to Samurai Patterns. Chronicle Books, San Francisco, 1990. Page 114, №130.

Note about the distribution of thickness (niku-oki): "this tsuba has toroid features, niku raises from the rim towards the centre but thins once more out when approaching the seppa-dai" [M. Sesko, "Handbook...", p. 48].

Additional Information

Collection Japanese swords & fittings
Type / Purpose Tsuba
Country Japan
Period 16 AD , Azuchi–Momoyama period [安土桃山時代] (1568–1603) , Muromachi period [室町時代] (1336–1573)
Subject Leaves , Plants , Vines
School Heianjō School , Kaga School
Media/Technique Hira-Zōgan , Kebori
Material Brass , Iron
Acquisition year 2016

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