Knife Handle (Kozuka) Depicting Shells on Beach (海辺に貝散図小柄)

Japanese

Not on view

The motif plate of this kozuka shows a beach with an arrangement of shells which are decorated with a differently colored abalone and mother-of-pearl inlay. The waves are decorated with a shell inlay as well. The areas that represent the beach show a sunago-zōgan inlay (lit. "sand inlay").

A kozuka is a handle of a by-knife that is part of a sword mounting. It is kept in a slot on the reverse of a katana scabbard, often with a matching kōgai (hairdressing tool).

Knife Handle (<i>Kozuka</i>) Depicting Shells on Beach (海辺に貝散図小柄), Copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), gold, brass, abalone shell, Japanese

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Knife Handle (<i>Kozuka</i>) Depicting Shells on Beach (海辺に貝散図小柄), Copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), gold, brass, abalone shell, Japanese
Knife Handle (<i>Kozuka</i>) Depicting Shells on Beach (海辺に貝散図小柄), Copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), gold, brass, abalone shell, Japanese

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