Circa 1700 Japanese Iron Tsuba With Takazogan Insects And A Flowering Kiku

~ Circa 1700 Japanese Iron Tsuba With Takazogan Gold Inlay Insects And A Flowering Kiku ~

From a private gentlemans collection, here we have an unsigned single hitsu-ana iron tsuba decorated with insects beside flowering kiku in takazogan. The reverse side also has flowering kiku.

The green enamel insects are in the shippo zogan style suggesting the possibility of some Hirata influence. This tsuba has clearly lost some inlay (and/or enamel) judging by the traces of its two empty recesses, also in the shape of insects or butterflies. According to Kanzan Sato (page 149 of ‘The Japanese Sword’), it was Momoyama taste that established the fashion for enamel inclusion on fittings. This was presumably in some contradiction to the shibui and austere designs of sukashi tsuba. Masayuki Sasano (Early Japanese Sword Guards/page 10) saw Momoyama as moving from a devotion for Zen Buddhism towards a more Confucian belief.

~ Condition ~

Please refer to the images for the condition. Please note the losses mentioned above.

~ Dimensions ~

The tsuba is 6.5cm (2.5 inches) in length.