Sword Guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) With <i>Shishi</i> Lion and Peonies Motif (獅子牡丹図鐔)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This tsuba shows a shishi lion who crawls through one of the hitsu-ana (opening for scabbard accessory) which is carved to represent a rock formation, thus half of his body is carved out of the obverse and half of the reverse. A large and prominent peony is depicted at the bottom right of the obverse and so the motif alludes to the Nō play Shakkyō (石橋), The Stone Bridge, which features a famous scene of a shishi lion dancing among peonies. Tsu Jinpo (1721-1762), first name Hachizaemon (八左衛門), was an Edo-based artist who had studied with the fourth Nomura master Masamichi (正道, 1707-1754) but who is also assumed to have trained with Gotō School.

Arms and Armor

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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.

Metropolitan Museum of Art