Sword Guard (Tsuba) Depicting Prawn (海老図鐔)
The obverse of this tsuba shows a large prawn in flush copper hira-zōgan that occupies the entire right side of the plate, with the antenna stretch into the left side. The eyes are highlighted in gold and the inlay is accented with fine kebori engravings. The reverse depicts a flush shibuichi-zōgan inlay in the form of two crabs and waves. Parts of the wave inlay has come off.
Artwork Details
- Title: Sword Guard (Tsuba) Depicting Prawn (海老図鐔)
- Date: ca. 1615–1868
- Culture: Japanese
- Medium: Iron, copper, gold, copper-gold alloy (shakudō), copper-silver alloy (shibuichi)
- Dimensions: H. 3 9/16 in. (9 cm); W. 3 5/8 in. (9.2 cm); thickness 3/16 in. (0.5 cm); Wt. 8.4 oz. (238.1 g)
- Classification: Sword Furniture-Tsuba
- Credit Line: Edward C. Moore Collection, Bequest of Edward C. Moore, 1891
- Object Number: 91.1.776
- Curatorial Department: Arms and Armor
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Omori Hidenaga
18th century
Japanese
late 14th century
Hirata School
ca. 1615–1868
Ishiguro Masayoshi
19th century
鷲田光中作 Washida Mitsunaka
19th century
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