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Japanese Swords: Cutting Edge

Tsuba (sword-guard)

The tsuba, or sword-guard, is used to prevent the hand from slipping onto the blade during combat. It is positioned between the hilt and the top of the blade. Tsuba are usually round, oval or a rounded rectangular shape with a central gap matching the cross-section of the blade. Large, square tsuba were fashionable among a lawless brotherhood of ex-samurai called kabukimono (swaggerers) during the early Edo period, but their use was forbidden in 1645.

Iron was the metal most frequently used for tsuba. The metal was usually patinated, a chemical reaction which turned it black and also prevented further rusting. The surface could either be polished smooth, or roughened with a hammer or chisel. Then it could be decorated in many different ways. These included itobori (a basic method of hairline engraving), takabori (a sculpted design raised above the surface), and sukashi-bori (whereby the surface was cut through to leave a pierced design). Several forms of zōgan (inlay), usually made of metal, were also used.

The pair of tsuba shown here were for a daishō - a matching pair of swords, one large and one small, worn by samurai warriors. They are decorated with inlaid gold dragons on a background of shakudō (a copper alloy turned black by patination).