Sword Guard (Tsuba) Depicting Heron on Boat (一路平安図鐔)

Fittings maker Shōzui Japanese

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 199


Moore amassed a study collection of nearly 150 Japanese sword fittings along with complete mounts and blades for Tiffany’s designers to consult. A selection of the sword guards (tsuba) and utility knife handles (kozuka) is presented here. Regarded as autonomous works of art, the component parts of Japanese sword mounts were often signed by makers. Embellished with a wide range of decorative techniques, they typically feature representations of the natural world as well as depictions of social customs, scenes from popular stories, and religious symbols. They served as sources of inspiration for many of Tiffany’s Japanesque mixed-metal wares, as seen throughout this gallery.

Sword Guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) Depicting Heron on Boat (一路平安図鐔), Shōzui (Japanese, Edo, 1696–1769), Iron, gold, copper-silver alloy (<i>shibuichi</i>), Japanese

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Sword Guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) Depicting Heron on Boat (一路平安図鐔), Shōzui (Japanese, Edo, 1696–1769), Iron, gold, copper-silver alloy (<i>shibuichi</i>), Japanese
Sword Guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) Depicting Heron on Boat (一路平安図鐔), Shōzui (Japanese, Edo, 1696–1769), Iron, gold, copper-silver alloy (<i>shibuichi</i>), Japanese
Sword Guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) Depicting Heron on Boat (一路平安図鐔), Shōzui (Japanese, Edo, 1696–1769), Iron, gold, copper-silver alloy (<i>shibuichi</i>), Japanese
Sword Guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) Depicting Heron on Boat (一路平安図鐔), Shōzui (Japanese, Edo, 1696–1769), Iron, gold, copper-silver alloy (<i>shibuichi</i>), Japanese

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