Sword Guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) With (probably) the Motif of The Seven Sages in the Bamboo Groove (竹林七賢か透鐔)

Sword Guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) With (probably) the Motif of The Seven Sages in the Bamboo Groove (竹林七賢か透鐔)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This Sōten (宗典) School tsuba shows five Chinese figures in three-dimensional openwork (nikubori ji-sukashi) which are colored in gold, silver, copper, and shakudō. One person is getting portrayed by a painter and the remaining three appear to carry standards which suggests that they are retainers of the sitting person that is portrayed. Although set in a pine grove, the motif may represent that of The Seven Sages in the Bamboo Grove (Chikurin no shichiken, 竹林七賢) which is frequently found on works from this school.

Arms and Armor

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Sword Guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) With (probably) the Motif of The Seven Sages in the Bamboo Groove (竹林七賢か透鐔)Sword Guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) With (probably) the Motif of The Seven Sages in the Bamboo Groove (竹林七賢か透鐔)Sword Guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) With (probably) the Motif of The Seven Sages in the Bamboo Groove (竹林七賢か透鐔)Sword Guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) With (probably) the Motif of The Seven Sages in the Bamboo Groove (竹林七賢か透鐔)Sword Guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) With (probably) the Motif of The Seven Sages in the Bamboo Groove (竹林七賢か透鐔)

The principal goals of the Arms and Armor Department are to collect, preserve, research, publish, and exhibit distinguished examples representing the art of the armorer, swordsmith, and gunmaker. Arms and armor have been a vital part of virtually all cultures for thousands of years, pivotal not only in conquest and defense, but also in court pageantry and ceremonial events. Throughout time the best armor and weapons have represented the highest artistic and technical capabilities of the society and period in which they were made, forming a unique aspect of both art history and material culture.