Sword Guard (Tsuba) Depicting Biting Lion Heads (Shikami) and Arabesques (獅噛唐草図南蛮鐔)

Japanese

Not on view

The rim area of this Nanban-style tsuba is decorated with arabesques and forms a cartouche which shows the symmetrical gold and shakudō design of demon heads and fern-like flowers on the obverse and an asymmetrical gold and shakudō design of flowers on the reverse. The edges of the hitsu-ana (openings for scabbard accessories) are highlighted in gold and the rim shows traces of a gold nunome-zōgan décor.

Sword Guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) Depicting Biting Lion Heads (<i>Shikami</i>) and Arabesques (獅噛唐草図南蛮鐔), Iron, gold, copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), Japanese

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Sword Guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) Depicting Biting Lion Heads (<i>Shikami</i>) and Arabesques (獅噛唐草図南蛮鐔), Iron, gold, copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), Japanese
Sword Guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) Depicting Biting Lion Heads (<i>Shikami</i>) and Arabesques (獅噛唐草図南蛮鐔), Iron, gold, copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), Japanese
Sword Guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) Depicting Biting Lion Heads (<i>Shikami</i>) and Arabesques (獅噛唐草図南蛮鐔), Iron, gold, copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), Japanese
Sword Guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) Depicting Biting Lion Heads (<i>Shikami</i>) and Arabesques (獅噛唐草図南蛮鐔), Iron, gold, copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), Japanese
Sword Guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) Depicting Biting Lion Heads (<i>Shikami</i>) and Arabesques (獅噛唐草図南蛮鐔), Iron, gold, copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), Japanese
Sword Guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) Depicting Biting Lion Heads (<i>Shikami</i>) and Arabesques (獅噛唐草図南蛮鐔), Iron, gold, copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), Japanese

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