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Hand Guard (tsuba) Decorated with Plum Blossoms and Moon - Image 1
Hand Guard (tsuba) Decorated with Plum Blossoms and Moon - Image 2

Hand Guard (tsuba) Decorated with Plum Blossoms and Moon

1844-1854

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Hand Guard (tsuba) Decorated with Plum Blossoms and Moon

Hand Guard (tsuba) Decorated with Plum Blossoms and Moon

Hand Guard (tsuba) Decorated with Plum Blossoms and Moon

1844-1854

Physical Qualities Shibuichi. gold, silver, Overall: 2 1/8 × 1 13/16 × 3/16 in. (5.4 × 4.6 × 0.5 cm.)
Credit Line Gift of Pierre E. Berry, Baltimore
Object Number 2010.82
A tsuba like this one would have been placed between the blade and handle of a sword to protect the hand. During the peaceful Edo Period (1615–1868), tsuba became increasingly ornamental. Artists excelled in metalworking to depict lyrical compositions such as this one, as well as the supernatural ones on view nearby. The BMA's print, The SnowWoman (Yuki Onna) (BMA 2025.25) shows the hand guard’s placement on a sword.
The Baltimore Museum of Art by gift, 2010; Pierre E. Berry, Baltimore, purchased in Kyoto c. 1945
New Arrivals: Gifts of Art for a New Century
The Way of Nature: Art from Japan, China, and Korea
On View at the BMA

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