Tsuba with round border containing a lozenge

Title

Tsuba with round border containing a lozenge
Associated place

Japan (place of creation)
Date

18th century (1701 - 1800)
Material and technique

iron, with cut and filed openwork decoration
Material index

iron
Technique index

forged;

openwork;

cut
Object type

tsuba
Dimensions

8.5 x 8.5 cm (height x width)
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.10754

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Catalogue text

Thick; constructed as a lozenge-shaped frame within a circular ring, the former united to the seppadai by four short bars; bars, lozenge and ring are all of circular section; the seppadai is square-edged.

It is, of course, only a square, not a lozenge, that can be truly inscribed in a circle, and here the angles of the inscribed figure necessarily "bite" more deeply into the ring at the top and bottom than they do to right and left; also the short bars are not in all cases at right angles to the side of the lozenge. For these reasons the design, while very attractive in the normal position, looks extremely awkward when placed diagonally.

tsuba

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