Tsuba, Kozuka, and Menuki
In the fittings of a Japanese sword, the tsuba is the most important accessory. Whether its design style demonstrates ingenuity and creativity, and how its composition and spatial arrangement are handled, has become an independent art form and collectible. Therefore, we dedicate a separate article to focusing on the tsuba.
The tsuba, commonly known in China as the sword guard or handguard, serves three main functions:
- Acting as the switch for drawing and sheathing the blade;
- Protecting the palm and wrist during combat;
- Symbolizing high social status and nobility. Before the Momoyama period, emphasis was placed on practicality; after the Momoyama period, decoration took precedence.
The central part of the tsuba must feature a hole roughly triangular in shape for the nakago (tang) to pass through, called the “nakago-ana” or “central hole.” On either side of the nakago-ana, there may also be flat, rounded holes: the one on the left is the “menuki-ana” for threading the menuki, and the one on the right is the “kogai-ana” for threading the kogai. The menuki-ana and kogai-ana may coexist, only one may be present, or neither may exist.
If the sword fittings are considered the samurai’s complete attire, then the tsuba can be said to be the samurai’s face. Especially during the Edo period, when samurai walked the roads, those encountering them face-to-face would first see the tsuba on their worn sword. The artistic taste of the tsuba represented the samurai’s style and cultivation, so tsuba artisans spared no effort in pushing the creativity of their designs to the extreme. In addition to deeply studying the properties of metals, tsuba artisans also learned painting and calligraphy. The grade of a tsuba is distinguished by factors such as the subject matter, composition and layout, craftsmanship, material usage, and preservation condition. Thus, the tsuba can be called the soul of the sword fittings.
Before the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, Chinese bronzeware had already reached the pinnacle of ancient metal art, while Japan at that time had no notable metalworking culture. By the mid-Ming dynasty, Japan had roughly caught up with China; by the mid-Qing dynasty, it had significantly surpassed China. This was mainly due to Japan’s precise mastery of metal alloy ratios, advancements in temperature control techniques, and the creation of highly challenging techniques for inlaying, carving, and coloring. The quality of a tsuba—whether good or bad—depends on nothing more than whether the material selection is appropriate, whether the design style shows ingenuity and creativity, whether the composition and spatial allocation are fitting, whether the craftsmanship is exquisite, how the overall impression feels upon completion, whether it is the work of a renowned artisan, and whether its preservation state remains good after centuries.
Tsuba are generally made from iron or copper alloys. Most copper tsuba date from after the Momoyama period, often featuring inlays, gilding, and gold inlays on the ground. Their quality, high and low, is more evident compared to iron tsuba. Those using copper alloys as the base material are mostly mixtures of copper-silver, copper-lead, tin-copper, or lead alloys in specific proportions to create different colored grounds, with an elegant luster and moderate hardness and softness—these are the superior alloy base materials. Iron tsuba exist across all eras and must undergo rigorous forging for purity. After the ravages of time, they develop a glossy, raven-black patina. If the surface shows faint yellow, pale red, or gray tones that rub off on the hand, it indicates poor iron quality and is not of superior grade.
Before the Muromachi period, practicality was emphasized, with simple styles; tsuba were often made by swordsmiths or armorers as a side job, mostly in the form of openwork iron tsuba—retaining the iron ground while expressing patterns through openwork carving. During the Edo period, whether iron or copper tsuba, the vast majority were produced by specialized tsuba artisans. Edo iron tsuba reached the peak in techniques such as negative engraving, positive engraving, and openwork carving. The Edo carving method involves leaving the required pattern on the ground while removing excess areas through openwork carving. In terms of value, Edo-period copper tsuba fall into the mid-price range, while iron tsuba prices polarize: high-quality openwork iron tsuba from before the Muromachi period are generally expensive, with most unsigned by the maker. Modern iron tsuba of poor quality and lacking creative patterns find no buyers.
Although the ground of the tsuba serves a supportive role, it can harmonize with the pattern to double the artistic value. Common grounds include flat plain ground, wood-grain ground, hammered ground, stone-eye ground, and fish-roe ground. Different pairings suit different main motifs. For example, wood-grain ground is achieved by refining iron to remove impurities, then repeatedly folding and forging it, resulting in a surface resembling the cross-section of a flower roll bun, with a texture like wood grain—simple to knead dough, but difficult to knead iron. Another example is fish-roe ground, mostly made from shakudō (also known as black copper, copper alloyed with small amounts of tin, lead, and gold), presenting a black-purple color whose depth is proportional to the gold content. On this black-purple ground, three-dimensional small dots are hammered out in a regular vortex arrangement. On a surface about 8 cm in diameter, both sides together have no fewer than ten thousand such dots, each the size of crucian carp eggs, hence the name fish-roe ground.
The main motif design and workmanship are intricate and detailed. Motif subjects vary by school, region (natural environment), and personal preference, generally featuring dragons, tigers, lions, flowers and birds, human figures, landscapes, animals, insects, plants, geometric shapes, characters, and everyday utensils. Carving types include high-relief carving, hair carving, slice carving, combined relief carving, plowing-out carving, low-relief carving, and openwork carving. Inlay types include flat inlay, line inlay, dotted inlay, high-relief inlay, and gold wrapping.
Types of Tsuba
1.Kara-tō Tsuba
Tsuba used for kara-tō (Chinese-style swords), which can also be used for ceremonial tachi; katana do not use kara-tō tsuba.
2.Tōshō Tsuba and Yoroi-mushi Tsuba
In early times, there were no specialized tsuba artisans; tsuba were made by swordsmiths or armorers as a secondary task, respectively called tōshō tsuba (swordsmith tsuba) and yoroi-mushi tsuba (armorer tsuba). Before the mid-Muromachi period, armorers mainly focused on tanning leather, lacquering, and making armor from leather and silk, with tsuba-making as a side job. Decorative fittings were completed by ornamental artisans.
Tōshō tsuba and yoroi-mushi tsuba are generally round openwork patterns, depicting motifs such as dragonflies (called “kachi-mushi” in Japan), symbolizing the samurai’s desire for victory; others depict scenes from Japan’s Warring States chaos.
In comparison, tōshō tsuba are slightly thicker and smoother than yoroi-mushi tsuba.
3.Kyō-sukashi Tsuba Openwork iron tsuba made centered in Kyoto; divided by the Momoyama period, those before are called “Heian-jō sukashi,” and those after are called “Kyō sukashi.” Their characteristic is delicate elegance.
4.Owari Sukashi Tsuba
Paired with Kyō sukashi tsuba as the “two jewels of openwork tsuba,” it features thicker lines than Kyō sukashi, mostly round in shape, with thick ears thinning toward the center in a concave form.
The production of Owari sukashi tsuba began in the late Muromachi period, through the Momoyama period, to the early Edo period, after which it mixed with other schools.
5.Yanagi Tsuba and Hōan Tsuba
Yanagi and Hōan are representative Owari tsuba artisans. Yanagi tsuba emphasize practicality, with a rustic and robust style. “Yanagi” is an abbreviation for “Yamasaka Yoshibē.” In signatures, the character for “guard” (衛) is replaced with “へ,” written as “Yanagi Yoshihē.”
Hōan’s production originated in Owari, with a style similar to Yanagi, often using oblong shapes. On iron-ground tsuba, hammered texture is added, giving a unique flavor full of wildness.
Other Fittings
Menuki often feature motifs of birds and beasts, flowers and grasses, landscapes, and deities. When installing animal- or bird-shaped menuki, the head must point toward the blade tip; for flower- or grass-shaped menuki, the roots must point toward the blade tip. If the orientation is incorrect, the menuki may loosen easily. Some menuki also bear inscriptions, called “menuki mei”: those engraved on the side are “side-end mei,” and those on the bottom are “short-scroll mei.”
The kozuka is a small knife inserted on the outer side of the scabbard. In reality, this small knife has little practical use and serves mainly as decoration, so the blade is often omitted or replaced with a wooden one, retaining only the handle. The kozuka handle can similarly feature various artistic decorative patterns.
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