Description:

East Asia, Japan, Edo Period, ca. later 18th to early 19th century CE. A fabulous forged-iron maru-gata (round) tsuba, a disc-shaped hand guard traditionally employed on Japanese swords. There is a decorative opening to one side of the Nakago-ana (central blade opening), and upon close examination one can see that the surfaces were embellished with organic and figural motifs. Size: 3" W (7.6 cm)

A tsuba is the hand guard of a traditional Japanese sword, usually a katana or tachi. Its primary purposes are to balance the sword, prevent one's hand from sliding down the blade and, as a last resort, as a block against an opponent's thrust or slash. However, as time and skills developed, the tsuba evolved into an artistic item and symbol representing wealth, prestige, or skills as a swordsman. Early tsuba, known as neri tsuba, were made of leather encased in an iron or wooden frame which was occasionally lacquered for strength and stability.

Lucite stand for photographic purposes and is not included.

Provenance: private southern California, USA collection, acquired before 2000.

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#159745

  • Condition: Surface wear commensurate with age. Close inspection reveals the remains of a decorative program adornng the surfaces, but the motifs are difficult to discern. Iron has developed a rich age patina.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

Shipping

Auction House will ship, at Buyer's expense

November 12, 2020 10:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 24.5% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000