Ko-kinkō Tsuba

This small ko-kinkō tsuba (古金工鐔) is made of yamagane (山銅), and carved in sukidashi-bori (鋤出彫) with a fine pattern of waves or nami (波) and Kiri mon (桐紋). Both sides of the plate are fully gilded with a thin gold foil (sōkin-ji 惣金地). The insides of the hitsuana retain gold, and the lows of the yamagane rope-pattern or nawame fukurin (縄目覆輪) retain gold.  The foil is neatly trimmed around the nakago-ana.  The motif consists of finely inscribed turbulent waves and paulownia blossoms or kiri, and covers both sides of the plate.  The rim is carved with a rope-pattern, and stands off the plate slightly. A character observation is that some of the kiri are floating in the waves, while others appear to be above the waves, perhaps still falling.

Due to the relatively diminutive size, it is likely that this tsuba would have been paired with a wakizashi or one-handed katateuchi (片手打ち) sized koshirae, which were popular during the period of manufacture.

Measurements: 6.3cm x 6.1cm x 0.4cm

Azuchi-Momoyama Period (安土桃山時代), late 16th century.

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