波濤に岩上鷹図大小 Sword Guard (Tsuba)

Fittings maker Inscribed by 石黒政常 Ishiguro Masatsune Japanese

late 18th–early 19th century

Not on view

This is the larger guard of a matching pair of sword guards (daishō-tsuba) made by Ishiguro Masatsune (石黒政常, 1760–1828) (pair with 43.120.724). It features a hawk perched on a rock above the sea. The depiction of birds and flowers was the forte of the Ishiguro School, which was established by Masatsune toward the end of the eighteenth century. The solemn character of their interpretations, seen here in the magnificent birds of prey, made Ishiguro works popular among Samurai and elevated the school to one of the most thriving centers of sword-fitting production in Edo (present-day Tokyo).

Artwork Details

Title: 波濤に岩上鷹図大小 Sword Guard (Tsuba)
Fittings maker: Inscribed by 石黒政常 Ishiguro Masatsune (Japanese, 1760–1828)
Date: late 18th–early 19th century
Culture: Japanese
Medium: Copper-gold alloy (shakudō), copper-silver alloy (shibuichi), gold, copper
Dimensions: H. 2 15/16 in. (7.5 cm); W. 2 3/4 in. (7 cm); thickness 5/16 in. (0.8 cm); Wt. 5.7 oz. (161.6 g)
Classification: Sword Furniture-Tsuba
Credit Line: Gift of Herman A. E. and Paul C. Jaehne, 1943
Object Number: 43.120.723
Curatorial Department: Arms and Armor

More Artwork

By 石黒政常 Ishiguro Masatsune

In the same medium

From the same time and place

波濤に岩上鷹図大小 Sword Guard (<i>Tsuba</i>), 石黒政常 Ishiguro Masatsune Japanese, Copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), copper-silver alloy (<i>shibuichi</i>), gold, copper, Japanese — 波濤に岩上鷹図大小 Sword Guard (*Tsuba*)
Fittings maker Inscribed by 石黒政常 Ishiguro Masatsune
late 18th–early 19th century

波濤に岩上鷹図大小鐔 Matching Pair of Sword Guards (<i>Daishō-tsuba</i>), 石黒政常 Ishiguro Masatsune Japanese, Copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), copper-silver alloy (<i>shibuichi</i>), gold, copper, Japanese — 波濤に岩上鷹図大小鐔 Matching Pair of Sword Guards (*Daishō-tsuba*)
Fittings maker Inscribed by 石黒政常 Ishiguro Masatsune
late 18th–early 19th century

Armor (<i>Gusoku</i>), Saotome Ietada Japanese, Iron, lacquer, silk, gilt copper, Japanese — Armor (*Gusoku*)
Armorer Helmet bowl signed Saotome Ietada
Armorer Breastplate inscribed inside, Myōchin Munesuke
16th and 18th centuries

Sword Guard (Tsuba), Ishiguro Masayoshi Japanese, Copper-gold alloy (shakudō), gold, copper-silver alloy (shibuichi), copper, Japanese — Sword Guard (Tsuba)
Fittings maker Inscribed by Ishiguro Masayoshi
19th century

Helmet (<i>Zukinnari Kabuto</i>), Iron, lacquer, Japanese — Helmet (*Zukinnari Kabuto*)
Japanese
16th century

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