"The swordsmith's tsuba is said to have originated from the tsuba that swordsmiths attached to swords in ancient times when they forged them, hence the name. It was once said that one by Akiyama Kyusaku was 600 years old, but after the war, it was believed to have originated around the mid-Muromachi period. However, in his book "The Origin of Sword Fittings," Sasano Daigyo defined it as dating from the late Heian period, as it was attached to a katana worn by a servant in the "Ban Chunagon Emaki." This tsuba features large and small circles that are openings on both sides of the tsuba. The transparent circles are tastefully shaped and exquisitely arranged. Moreover, the atmosphere is soft and evocative of infinite space. It is truly an abstract expression, like viewing stars or a constilation in the sky. The fairly thin, glossy black rust of the iron exudes a sense of time, sharing the same style and atmosphere as the Kamakura-period tsuba featured in "The Origin of Sword Fittings." It is also desirable that it is somewhat large, making it a rare masterpiece. There is a ridge on the backside and smooth on the front of the rim." (Haynes & Long)
Length: 8.78cm x Width: 8.70cm x Face thickness: 0.25cm |
