Tsuba (1) - Cast iron - Ship - Hachido Tomokiyo - Antique Tsuba for Samurai Sword (T-124) - Japan - Edo Period (1600-1868)

An Iron Tsuba sloping oval shape with Kozuka & Kougai holes The Takabori technique engraves some sailing ships and waves. Before the invention of the automobile or the airplane, ships were essential for Japanese people, mainly because Japan is an island. From the Momoyama period (1568-1600) to the Edo period, merchant vessels from the Netherlands or Portugal came to Japan. These ships were called "Nanbansen," and it became a kind of pattern for Kimono (traditional Japanese costume) or furniture.