Sword guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) With Peony Motif (牡丹図鐔)

Sword guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) With Peony Motif (牡丹図鐔)

Takehara Tomomasa

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The artist Tomomasa (友正) states in the signature that he modelled this tsuba after a painting of Kanō Yoshinobu (狩野美信, 1747-1797), art name Dōshun (洞春) and Buddhist priest rank of Hōgen (法眼). Tomomasa, whose family name was Takehara (武原), was working for the Chōshū fief (present Yamaguchi Prefecture) but also lived temporarily in Kii province (present-day Wakayama Prefecture). There exist dated works from 1798 and 1799 but his master is unknown.

Arms and Armor

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Sword guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) With Peony Motif (牡丹図鐔)Sword guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) With Peony Motif (牡丹図鐔)Sword guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) With Peony Motif (牡丹図鐔)Sword guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) With Peony Motif (牡丹図鐔)Sword guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) With Peony Motif (牡丹図鐔)

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.