Sword Guard (Tsuba)

Japanese

Not on view

This iron tsuba shows on both sides an arrangement of butterflies which occupies entire plate.

The artist Masatoyo (正豊), real name Okada Toyosaburō (岡田豊三郎), was originally from Nagato province (present-day Yamaguchi Prefeture) but later moved to Edo where he studied with the Itō (伊藤) School master Masatsune (正常). There exists a dated work from Tenpō eleven (天保, 1840) which roughly informs us about his active period. Masatoyo’s workshop was located in the Negishi (根岸) neighborhood of Edo’s Shitaya (下谷) district.

Sword Guard (Tsuba), Iron, copper-gold alloy (shakudō), Japanese

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Obverse

Sword Guard (Tsuba), Iron, copper-gold alloy (shakudō), Japanese
Sword Guard (Tsuba), Iron, copper-gold alloy (shakudō), Japanese

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