Tsuba

Tsuba are the hand guards on Japanese swords or Nihonto. There are many schools or styles of Tsuba. Below are a few from my fathers collection that were not mounted on blades.











The first Tsuba is copper in a simplified mokko shape with cherry blossoms and stylized rain. The patina is a lovely warm brown. Mumei.

A beautiful Mucade tsuba in the Aoi shape. Tsuba is iron with silver and gold wire inlaid around the edge. Mucade means "centepede." Mumei.













This is a smaller iron tsuba, most likely for a wakizashi, or medium sized sword, carried by the samurai as part of their daisho set, or carried alone by the merchant class. Mumei.