Mino Tsuba

Mino school tsuba with floral motif including arabesque vines or karakusa (唐草), cloves or chōji (丁子), chrysanthemums or kiku (菊) and paulownia blossoms or kiri (桐).  The outer decorative band is made from yamagane (山銅), while the central plate is a red copper or suaka (素銅).  There central plate has two gold hitsuana fukurin (櫃孔覆輪), and the surface is textured with fine scribing. The carving is well executed in characteristic Mino school fashion, with deep, vertical walls, and slightly textured plate.  This style of carving is named Mino-bori (美濃彫). Small inlaid silver and copper dots or tenzōgan (点象嵌), are used to ornament some of the chōji and kiku.

This tsuba matched with the fuchi-kashira illustrated here, would be a nice combination for mounting on a koshirae.

Measurements: 7.0cm x 6.8cm x 0.5cm

Edo Period (江戸時代), 17th century

$1050