A HEIANJO STYLE TSUBA

Details

A HEIANJO STYLE TSUBA
MOMOYAMA PERIOD (1573-1600)

The round iron plate is decorated with a border of flush brass inlays depicting leaves and Chinese bellflower and an inner circular line. The design is repeated on the reverse. The hitsu-ana may be an Edo period addition--height 9.1cm., width 9cm., thickness 3.5mm.

Double wood storage box. Inner box with attestation by Sato Kanzan, dated autumn, 1974.

Accompanied by a tokubetsu kicho certificate issued by the N.B.T.H.K., no. 162, dated April 15th, 1971.

Provenance

Aoyama, Paris

Lot Essay

Although this type of Heianjo tsuba is not typical of either the Momoyama period or style, it does show the origin of the Kaga technique of brass and silver inlay which gained favor in the Edo period. There is a possibility that this guard was made by a skilled stirrup maker, rather than a professional tsuba maker.