Hawk and pine tsuba
Carved out of copper alloy with details highlighted in gold.
Early tsuba with alphabet
Curious early tsuba with the beginning of the Western alphabet inscribed into it.
Small Chinese saber guard
Of pierced iron, elaborately cut with lotus petal border.
Thick Aoi gata tsuba with foreigners
With fine golden overlays, even on the thick rim.
Aoi-gata tsuba with foreigners
Unusual tsuba with foreign figures and Chinese auspicious symbols.
Iron nanban ship tsuba
Pierced and chiseled showing an 18th century European vessel.
Hirado Kunishige fuchi
One of his classic designs, signed by the maker.
Curious lobed sword guard
Modeled after a smallsword guard, with carvings of Western figures.
Unusual nanban tsuba
Very finely carved with designs reminiscent of export wares.
17th century Chinese saber guard
With the swirling arabesque motifs that are typical for this period.
Southern Chinese openwork sword guard
In the style of northern work of the 16th and 17th centuries
Assymetric dragon tsuba
Chinese work for the Japanese market.
Canton tsuba with 28 "jewels"
Canton work for the Japanese market, with 28 metal balls in separate compartments.
Early Canton tsuba
Made in Canton, China, for the Japanese market.
Lobed Canton tsuba
Made in Canton, China, for the Japanese market.
Canton tsuba with ship
Made in Canton, China, for the Japanese market.
Five dragon Canton tsuba
Made in Canton, China, for the Japanese market.
Water caltrop Canton tsuba
Made in Canton, China, for the Japanese market.
Facing dragon Canton tsuba
Made in Canton, China, for the Japanese market.
Yagami school nanban tsuba
A masterpiece of the genre. The Yagami school were excellent carvers of iron.
Enamelled Hirado Kunishige tsuba
Fine work and one of the very few enamelled tsuba by this maker.
Yidao guard
Exceptionally large pierced iron guard for a Chinese yidao; "virtuous saber".
Three wise monkeys tsuba
Japanese sword guard depicting three wise monkeys conveying the message see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.
Winged dragon tsuba
A fine and unusually large tsuba. Attributed to Hizen by the NBTHK.
Fine Kinai dragon tsuba
Made by the Kinai group of Echizen, who originated as horimono carvers.
Signed nanban style ship tsuba
Signed by an artist named Kanesada from Higo.
Seiryūken Eiju dragon tsuba
Tetsugendo school. Round plate with discoid cross-section, chiseled with dragons.
Peony karakusa tsuba
Executed in "nanban style" openwork with chiseled and gold-encrusted peonies.
Sawasa style iron guard
Unusual piece with depiction of a foreign figure.
Iron chrysanthemum tsuba
Large example with gold and silver overlay.
Unusual dragon gate guard
Asian sword guard of unknown origin, modified in Japan.
Japanese tsuba in Canton style
Also known as Kwanto-gata, with two facing dragon chasing a pearl.
Daruma tsuba
A peculiar tsuba with a depiction of Bodhidharma and two dragon chasing a pearl.
Wan-gata tsuba by Kunihiro
Its outer surface is decorated with interlocking swastikas and family crests.
Cast iron compass rose guard
A peculiar cast iron sword guard, probably from the South China Seas area.
Chinese lòukōng sword guard
The archetypical Chinese sword guard that gave rise to the Japanese genre of "nanban tsuba".
Qing openwork saber guard
A very rare Chinese saber guard dating from the height of the Qing dynasty.
Chinese hùshǒu with lantsa script
A Chinese sword guard from the 18th century with a Buddhist mantra in lantsa script.
"South China Sea Guard"
Most likely used by the multi-cultural crews of pirate fleets that roamed the South China seas.
Kiyou-Toujin Tsuba
A Japanese style sword guard made in 17th century Nagasaki Chinatown.
Tachi tsuba of nanban tetsu
A rare 17th-century sword guard made of foreign steel.
House of Aviz tsuba
A Japanese sword guard with the cross of the House of Aviz.
A Korean sword guard
Adjusted for use on a Japanese sword.
Asian export sword guard
An interesting pierced iron Asian export sword guard that is part of a small group of guards that were made with a mu
Iron ship sword guard
A chiseled iron sword guard depicting a Dutch ship with a figure on its stern.
Sinhalese export sword guard
A large circular Asian export sword guard with elaborate decor carved in relief on both sides.
Classic Choshu ship tsuba
The work nice and crisp, the execution has a naturalistic charm to it.
Ono school ship tsuba
Description
A classic Japanese ship tsuba with a motif called “kazeho” (風帆) or “b
Fine Canton-style export sword guard
Introduction
Many Asian export sword guards, and later Japanese guards inspired by them, were modeled after
"Love of Lotus" Korean guard
Description
Korean ceremonial sabers of the Joseon dynasty are pretty small and often exhi