Sword guard (</>Tsuba</i>) Depicting Exiled Writer and Statesman Su Shi (蘇東坡図鐔)

Sword guard (</>Tsuba</i>) Depicting Exiled Writer and Statesman Su Shi (蘇東坡図鐔)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This tsuba depicts statesman Su Shi (1037–1101, art name Dongpo, Japanese: So Tōba) on horseback, riding through a winterly bamboo forest en route to one of his multiple exiles. The reverse shows two of his servants. The artist Naoyoshi (直悦) studied with the first Yanagawa (柳川) School master Naomasa (直政, 1692-1757) but worked primarily in the style of the Hamano (浜野) School.

Arms and Armor

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Sword guard (</>Tsuba</i>) Depicting Exiled Writer and Statesman Su Shi (蘇東坡図鐔)Sword guard (</>Tsuba</i>) Depicting Exiled Writer and Statesman Su Shi (蘇東坡図鐔)Sword guard (</>Tsuba</i>) Depicting Exiled Writer and Statesman Su Shi (蘇東坡図鐔)Sword guard (</>Tsuba</i>) Depicting Exiled Writer and Statesman Su Shi (蘇東坡図鐔)Sword guard (</>Tsuba</i>) Depicting Exiled Writer and Statesman Su Shi (蘇東坡図鐔)

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.