Round tsuba with swastikas

Title

Round tsuba with swastikas
Associated place

Japan (place of creation)
Date

17th century (1601 - 1700)
Material and technique

iron, with hira-zōgan (flat inlay) in brass wire
Material index

iron;

brass
Technique index

forged;

inlaid
Object type

tsuba
Dimensions

7.6 x 7.6 x 0.5 cm (height x width x depth)
No. of items

1
Credit line

Bequeathed by Dame Jemima Church, in accordance with the wishes of her Husband, Sir Arthur H. Church, 1929.
Museum location

not on display
Museum department

Eastern Art
Accession no.

EAX.10157

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Catalogue text

Covered to near the edge with fine brass wire inlay of a closed swastika diaper (different on each face) outwardly bordered by a circle and inwardly by the seppadai outline (which is oblong with re-entrant angles).

The inlay, although revealing the sunk grooves proper to the true hira-zōgan where the brass has come away, has at the same time a curious nunome look and the ground in several places shows a fine horizontal hatching. This, coupled with the unusual outline of the seppadai, inclines one to class the guard as Hizen work (Group XXXI).

tsuba

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