Ko Kinko Tsuba

Bronze ko kinko tsuba of sukashi chrysanthemum motif.  The single hitsuana is original thus making this guard ubu (unaltered) condition.  The plate is uniform thickness throughout, and no remnant lacquer is evident.  Although most would call this metal yamagane, material testing on other tsuba of this genre shows these to have been made of bronze, and thus rarer for the period of manufacture - likely prestige goods.

6.6 x 6.4 x 0.25 cm

Early to mid Muromachi (ca. early 1400's)