Sword guard (Tsuba) Depicting Zhūgě Liàng and Guān Yǔ (孔明・関羽図鐔)

Japanese

Not on view

The obverse of this iron tsuba shows chancellor Zhūgě Liàng (181-234), courtesy name Kongming (Japanese: Kōmei,孔明 ), and general Guān Yǔ (?-201, Japanese: Kan’u, 関羽) with his famous halberd "Green Dragon Crescent Blade" (青龍偃月刀). The reverse is left undecorated. Both Zhūgě Liàng and Guān Yǔ are prominent figures of the Records of the Three Kingdoms, a Chinese historical text which covers the history of the late Eastern Han dynasty (ca. 184–220 A.D.) and the Three Kingdoms period (220–280 A.D.). As such Chinese classics were included in the curriculum of Japanese warrior education, relevant motifs frequently found on sword fittings.

The artist Naotoshi (直寿・直壽) had studied with the Hamano School (浜野) master Naoyuki (直随, 1754-1827). He was based in Edo and used the art names Kaikūdō (皆空堂) and Ken’yūsai (顕有斎).

Sword guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) Depicting Zhūgě Liàng and Guān Yǔ (孔明・関羽図鐔), Iron, gold, copper-gold alloy (shakudō), Japanese

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Obverse

Sword guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) Depicting Zhūgě Liàng and Guān Yǔ (孔明・関羽図鐔), Iron, gold, copper-gold alloy (shakudō), Japanese
Sword guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) Depicting Zhūgě Liàng and Guān Yǔ (孔明・関羽図鐔), Iron, gold, copper-gold alloy (shakudō), Japanese

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