A fine Japanese kashira and fuchi set from the late Tokugawa shogunate, circa 1840 to 1868. While many antique samurai sword fittings are made from copper alloys, this rare set is made from solid silver with gilt edges (not visible in photo). It is also decorated with the kamon of the respected Asano clan – two crossed hawk feathers within a circle.
Although we might not always realize it, myth is a vital part of human society. And while the topic might first prompt thoughts of ancient Greek and Romans deities, there are other mythologies that are just as relevant to our modern era. The specific myth I have in mind is that of the tenacious Japanese samurai warrior and his deadly sword.
The Japanese samurai has become a mainstay of global pop culture. Classic works such as the 1954 movie Seven Samurai, the 2005 anime series Samurai Champloo and the 2011 video game Total War: Shogun 2 have all contributed to the modern myth of the samurai. At this point, the samurai and his famous katana sword are recognized around the world as unofficial mascots of the storied island nation.
But what if I told you that you could afford to own a tangible piece of the samurai myth? And I mean a real, historical bit of the legendary Japanese fighter – not some cheap, modern reproduction.
Antique samurai sword fittings – the metal mountings used to secure and decorate katana, wakizashi and other Japanese swords – are hand-forged works of art straight from Japan’s celebrated feudal past. Most date no later than the end of the Japanese Tokugawa shogunate (circa 1868), making them at least 150 years old. And they often have incredible attention to detail that must simply be seen to be believed.
These historically important items were used to display a samurai’s wealth and social prominence. But even more importantly, antique samurai sword fittings represent the physical heritage of a proud warrior class who considered their swords to be sacred. According to the great 17th century shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu, the sword was the “soul of the samurai”; a katana’s mountings were no less hallowed.
Types of Antique Samurai Sword Fittings
There are 5 major kinds of samurai sword mountings: the tsuba, fuchi, menuki, kashira and kozuka.
Tsuba
The tsuba is a sword guard, meant to protect the sword-wielder’s hands from an opponent’s sword slashes. While sword guards often took on elaborate basket forms in Renaissance Europe, the Japanese tsuba was a much simpler affair. It was usually a flat oval or round disc of metal with up to three holes.
The central hole, or nakago-ana, is always present and accommodated the sword blade. The hole on the left is called the kozuka hitsu-ana. It was meant for the kogatana, a samurai’s small utility knife that was affixed to the outside of the scabbard. The hole on the right is called the kōgai hitsu-ana. It held a kōgai, a long metal hair-pin that samurai traditionally used.
Not all of these holes appear on all tsuba. Some antique tsuba only have the central sword hole (nakago-ana). Others have both the nakago-ana and the kozuka hitsu-ana for the utility knife. Still others have all three. It is common for earlier dated tsuba to lack one or both of these extra holes because they were designed solely as weapons of war – no extra frills necessary.
Fuchi
A fuchi is a metal collar sandwiched between the tsuba (sword guard) and the sword handle, right at the top of the hilt. They are usually rather short, rarely exceeding a height of more than 15 mm (0.6 inches).
Menuki
Menuki are a pair of small, matching decorations placed on either side of the sword handle. These were originally utilitarian, covering the steel pins that fastened the sword handle to the tang. They later evolved into ornamental items as Japanese sword construction techniques advanced. However, some modern-day sword enthusiasts claim that menuki give the swordsman a better grip on the handle.
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Kashira
The kashira is the end-cap of a samurai sword, also known as a pommel in Western parlance. It resides at the very bottom of the sword handle, helping to keep it firmly in place. Because they are one of the most readily visible parts of a sheathed sword, Japanese kashira were sometimes elaborately decorated. Fuchi and kashira were often made in matching pairs.
Kozuka
The kozuka is the metal handle of a samurai’s utility knife, or kogatana. Although not technically part of a samurai sword, the kogatana/kozuka was often secured to the sword via the kozuka hitsu-ana hole in the tsuba. These elongated rectangular handles rarely measure more than a few inches (10 cm) in length. Their diminutive size did not stop the Japanese from lavishly decorating them, which also had the added bonus of helping a samurai maintain his grip on the small handle.
A Short History of the Samurai
I believe that in order to truly appreciate the mystique of antique samurai sword fittings, we must first understand the history of the samurai.
A Chronological List of Japanese Eras
- Asuka period (538 to 710)
- Nara period (710 to 794)
- Heian period (794 to 1185)
- Kamakura period (1185 to 1333)
- Muromachi period (1333 to 1568)
- Azuchi–Momoyama period (1568 to 1600)
- Sengoku period, Aka the Age of Warring States (1467 to 1600)
- Edo period, Aka the Tokugawa shogunate (1600 to 1868)
- Meiji period (1868 to 1912)
- Taishō period (1912 to 1926)
- Shōwa period (1926 to 1989)
- Heisei period (1989 to the present)
The origins of the samurai are murky, but are believed to date back to the early Heian period in the 8th and 9th century AD. It was during this time that Emperor Kanmu in Kyoto resolved to conquer the Emishi people who resided in the northern part of the Japanese mainland. He recruited powerful Japanese clans headed by shōguns to subjugate his enemies. These tribal shōguns built large armies of strong mounted warriors who were skilled in archery and swordsmanship. These mounted soldiers gradually evolved into samurai swordsmen, completing the transition by the 12th century.
Medieval Japan was a feudal society characterized by a strict caste system. The shōguns (also known as daimyō in later eras) resided at the very top of society as feudal lords. The samurai ranked just below the daimyō in terms of status, but owed them fealty and military service. In return the samurai were paid a wage (usually in the form of rice, although payments in coin became more common during the late feudal period). Most samurai were also granted land and servants, as well as the right to arbitrarily strike down any commoner who compromised their honor!
This system worked well enough until the Sengoku, or Warring States period (1467 to 1600). During this time the Muromachi shogunate was theoretically in charge. But in reality the Muromachi had lost their grip on power, allowing the rise of local warlords. Each of these daimyō warlords had their own loyal samurai army, which they used when jockeying with other warlords for political power.
As a result, the Sengoku period was a time of unrelenting violence, famine and misery. Many samurai during this period became wandering rōnin after losing their masters in battle. Rōnin samurai were given little respect in Japanese society because they often resorted to mercenary work or banditry to survive.
The Samurai during the Tokugawa Shogunate
In 1600 AD, the warlord Tokugawa Ieyasu defeated his remaining rivals at the Battle of Sekigahara. This allowed him to finally unite all of Japan under his undisputed rule, bring the long-running Warring States period to a close. The Tokugawa shogunate dominated Japanese political life for the next 260 years. This period was no less transformative for Japanese samurai.
In place of constant combat and social chaos, came peace, increased commerce and widespread prosperity. Many of the Tokugawa samurai transitioned from full time warriors into largely administrative roles. They still needed to be battle ready, however, and were required by law to carry their trademark swords with them in public. But this new, much more peaceful Japan called for precious little bloodshed.
During this period many samurai became government officials in one capacity or another. The shogunate or local daimyō paid these samurai a regular stipend in either rice or coin. But wandering samurai, or rōnin, were forced to find peaceful employment elsewhere. The most talented opened dōjōs where they taught their swordsmanship techniques to paying customers.
Another exceptional aspect of the Tokugawa shogunate during this time was its policy of strict isolation. Trade with the West was made illegal, with the sole exception of the Dutch, who could trade with the Japanese via the tiny island of Dejima off the coast of Nagasaki. No other Western countries were allowed to trade or interact with the Japanese during this time. And any Japanese citizen who went abroad was forbidden to return to his native land, on pain of death.
The samurai were stuck in a time warp. Even as the rest of the world experimented with and perfected the use of gunpowder, Japanese samurai still trained relentlessly with their swords. Swordsmanship remained surprisingly effective in the island nation because guns were illegal, with only select parts of the military establishment having access to outdated models (by international standards). In Tokugawa Japan, samurai still dueled with swords while police battled bandits with antiquated bladed weapons.
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The Samurai during the Bakumatsu Period
The comfortable days for the samurai of the Tokugawa shogunate began to unravel in 1853. That was the year that American Admiral Matthew Perry led a squadron of U.S. warships into Edo (now Tokyo) harbor and demanded the Japanese open trade and diplomatic relations. The implicit use of force backed Perry’s demands. This was no idle threat either; the American fleet of four massive warships was laden with cutting-edge Paixhans guns and over 1,500 well-equipped troops.
Officials of the Tokugawa shogunate panicked. They knew Japan’s coastal defenses were in a shambles and utterly incapable of defending the capital city – much less the rest of the nation – against an American naval bombardment. The Tokugawa were also painfully aware of how antiquated the bulk of their samurai army was when compared to Western military forces. After delaying for a number of months, the Tokugawa finally submitted to American demands.
Foreign people, goods and ideas soon flooded into Japan, setting off an existential cultural crisis in the island nation. Suddenly the Tokugawa shogunate, which had ruled unchallenged for hundreds of years, was revealed to be weak and incompetent. Samurai factions arose that demanded the Emperor be restored to power, rather than remain as a mere figurehead. Others simply wanted the foreigners out, even if it meant war. But a few forward-looking Japanese officials and scholars saw that the nation desperately needed to modernize if it was to avoid being colonized by the European powers.
This era, which was known as the Bakumatsu, was a period of social chaos, political intrigue and rapid cultural change. Foreigners were assassinated on the streets of Edo by sword-wielding reactionaries with stunning regularity, as were Japanese administrators and intellectuals. Yet, the Tokugawa shogunate was powerless to stem the internal dissent. It was obvious that feudal Japan was coming apart at the seams.
It was during this dark time that one of the greatest samurai organizations of all time was born – the Shinsengumi. This samurai police force was established to patrol the streets of Kyoto, maintaining order in the name of the shogunate. Although widely celebrated in modern Japanese culture, the Shinsengumi was only active in Kyoto for a handful of years, from 1863 to 1867. And the elite force did not long survive its expulsion from Japan’s imperial city, disbanding in 1869 after backing the losing side in the Boshin War.
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The Boshin War and the End of the Samurai
When it finally arrived, the twilight of the samurai came with stunning swiftness. The Japanese provinces of Chōshū and Satsuma formed an alliance in opposition to the central Tokugawa authority and instigated what became known as the Boshin War. The rebels ostensibly strove to restore the authority of the Japanese Emperor, which they claimed the shogunate had unjustly usurped. Although considerably outnumbered by the shogunate forces, the imperialist soldiers carried the latest weapons imported straight from Europe.
While their clashes spanned from January 1868 to June 1869, the results of the conflict were inevitable. The Tokugawa army, largely relying on traditional samurai weapons and tactics, was repeatedly overwhelmed by the superior firepower of the modernized rebel forces.
A gathering of Satsuma samurai during the Boshin War to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate, circa late 1860s. Photo credit: Wikipedia
After the dissolution of the shogunate, the new imperial Meiji government wasted little time in implementing major reforms meant to modernize Japan. However, this was an unwelcome development for many samurai, who had been subjected to something of a political bait and switch scheme.
Originally, the anti-Tokugawa imperialists fought under the pretext of reestablishing traditional Japanese values and institutions. This was best summarized by the famous 1850s-1860s Japanese political slogan “Revere the Emperor, expel the barbarians.” In this context, barbarians referred to Westerners (Europeans and Americans) and their foreign influence. In effect, many Japanese equated the restoration of imperial power with a return to Japanese isolationism.
Many samurai found this uncompromising philosophy to be deeply attractive and enthusiastically threw in their lot with anyone rebelling against the weak and corrupt shogunate. But once the Meiji Restoration occurred, these same samurai were dismayed to find out that the new government had no intention of recreating a traditional, by-gone Japan. Instead, the Meiji government systematically dismantled the samurai class.
The first blow fell in July 1871, when the central government formally abolished the feudal system. Although many of the Japanese han (provinces) had already been confiscated from the Tokugawa and their loyalist during the 1868 Boshin war, most remained in the hands of their hereditary daimyō. This changed in the summer of 1869 when the rest of the daimyo were coerced into surrendering their domains to the Meiji government in exchange for being appointed as non-hereditary governors of their former lands. By 1871 the Japanese government formally eliminated the han structure and the feudal traditions attached to them.
At this point, political change came with unrelenting speed. In August 1871, the government promulgated the danpatsurei, or Cropped Hair Edict, which encouraged samurai to cut their distinctive top-knot hair style.
In 1873 the Meiji government took a monumental step towards displacing the samurai class by establishing a western-style, professional army. This deprived the samurai of their traditional role as the nation’s exclusive military force.
The final indignities for the samurai came in 1876. This was the year the central government in Tokyo passed two culturally earth shattering laws: the Sword Abolishment Edict, or haitōrei, and the Stipend Measure, or chitsuroku shobun.
In March 1876, the haitōrei outlawed the wearing of weapons in public, including swords. Only the military and police were exempt from this law. The samurai, who defined themselves via their swords, could now no longer advertise their identity publicly.
A few months later, in August 1876, all samurai stipends were mandatorily converted into government bonds. This effectively cut-off the samurais’ salary and replaced it with a bond that only paid out 25% to 90% of their lost wages.
At this point, the samurai were no longer really samurai. Their official military role had been eliminated. Their once mighty feudal lords had been turned into paper-pushing governors who had little true authority. The samurai could no longer wear their beloved swords or traditional top-knots. And they weren’t even paid to be samurai anymore.
Many samurai accepted this demotion in social status with surprising equanimity. After all, by the late Edo era a great number of samurai were functionally bureaucrats themselves, far removed from their warrior roots. But a few die-hard samurai clung to the old ways and refused to accept their diminished status.
These remaining fanatics coalesced around a charismatic leader, Saigō Takamori. In 1877, he led a final samurai rebellion against the central Meiji authority in the southern province of Satsuma. At this point, the remaining samurai had little to lose as all their prerogatives had already been stripped away.
Although they fought valiantly, the Satsuma Rebellion was doomed to failure. Many of the samurai refused to fight with rifles, but instead chose to do battle with their traditional weapons: swords, naginata and bows. They believed the righteousness of their cause and indomitable warrior spirit would carry the day.
They were wrong.
The Meiji government’s army of conscript peasants, armed with modern rifles and trained in the Western style, defeated the rebels in a series of pitched battles between January and September of 1877. Saigō Takamori, who is sometimes referred to as “the last samurai”, was cut down in battle and his remaining forces crushed. The traditional Japanese samurai died with him.
Identifying Antique Samurai Sword Fittings
One important way to identify antique samurai sword mountings is to determine the metal used in their construction. Tsuba, in particular, can be divided into two categories: iron tsuba and soft-metal (kinko) tsuba. All other samurai sword fittings – fuchi, menuki, kashira and kozuka – were usually fashioned from soft-metal alloys. This is because tsuba could potentially benefit from the structural strength imparted by iron, while other mountings were largely ornamental in nature.
Iron is a metal most of us are familiar with, so I won’t spend much time on it. In contrast, the soft-metal (generally copper-based) alloys the Japanese used are really quite unfamiliar to most people. So they will get the bulk of my attention.
The Japanese employed a number of different kinko alloys to impart a specific look or feel to a finished article. Contemporary medieval metalworking in Western cultures, in contrast, took a completely different philosophical approach to finishing metals. Instead of relying on a profusion of different alloys for aesthetic effect like the Japanese, Europeans used surface treatments like acid etching and plating to achieve various finishes.
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Shakudō
Shakudō is one of the classic Japanese metalsmithing alloys. Shakudō is an alloy of between 1% and 10% gold, with the balance composed of copper. However, the typical shakudō alloy contained 2% to 7% gold. Because of the expense of gold, cheaper shakudō alloys will tend towards the lower end of that range. Only the very wealthiest and highest status samurai could afford high quality shakudō mountings for their swords.
This unique alloy naturally develops an alluring velvety bluish-black or purplish-black patina over time. But Japanese craftsman more commonly induced the prized patina immediately via an oxidizing paste called rokushō. Historical references to shakudō appear as early as the Nara period (710 to 794 AD), but the first surviving examples of the alloy date from the 12th century. In any case, shakudō is one of the most important alloys used in antique tsuba, fuchi, kashira, menuki and kozuka.
Shibuichi
Shibuichi is another important Japanese metal alloy. It consists of anywhere from 15% to 70% silver, with the rest being copper. The addition of silver to copper produces a wide range of subtle grays, from an intense, charcoal-gray for low silver content alloys to a light, powdery-gray for high silver content alloys. In some instances, shibuichi was further mixed with a tiny percentage of gold (usually 1% or 2%) to achieve other minor color variations.
Shibuichi’s origins undoubtedly date back to Japan’s medieval era, although it was first noted in early 18th century records from the Tokugawa shogunate mint. This unusual metal was widely used by skilled Japanese metalworkers to create very fine samurai sword fittings in the 18th and 19th centuries.
The Western equivalent to shibuichi is an alloy called billon, which was composed of copper with less than 50% silver. But unlike shibuichi, billon was only used in medieval European coins as a debased silver alloy.
Yamagane
Another Japanese alloy, yamagane, was used exclusively in older, pre-Edo era days (before 1600). This metal was crude, unrefined copper, more or less exactly as it came smelted from the mine. Due to its origins, it was sometimes called “mountain metal”.
Yamagane was commonly used in kinko samurai sword fittings from the Kamakura (1185 to 1333 AD) and Muromachi periods (1333 to 1568 AD). This is due to the fact that the technology to produce refined copper (suaka) was expensive and not widely known during those eras. Being a naturally occurring alloy, there was no explicit, set formula for yamagane’s composition. But it is a good bet that most yamagane is around 95% copper, give or take, with small amounts of zinc, tin, lead, silver and arsenic making up the balance.
Yamagane is a deep, rich brown color, sometimes with hints of gray. However, it takes some experience to distinguish raw, yamagane copper from refined, suaka copper based on looks alone. You can expect to encounter yamagane only rarely due to the scarcity of surviving pre-Edo era samurai sword fittings.
Shinchu
Shinchu is what we would call brass today – an alloy of perhaps 75% to 85% copper, with zinc rounding out the balance. Sometimes lead was added too, probably to change the final patination effect. Shinchu has been continuously used in Japanese metalworking since the Nara period (710- 794 AD).
Sentoku
Sentoku is roughly the equivalent of bronze, an alloy composed mostly of copper and tin, with a small admixture of zinc and lead. This produced a yellow-brown metal that wasn’t as bright as shinchu, but was otherwise quite similar.
Silver & Gold
In addition to the above soft metal specialty alloys, antique samurai sword mountings often have decorations crafted from silver or gold. In many instances, the precious metal was inlaid into the underlying base metal. On other specimens, the gold or silver decoration was applied as thick wire or sheet that stood in relief. In very rare instances, the entire piece was made from solid silver (or gold, although such examples are quite uncommon).
The next identification method I want to discuss is a craftsman’s signature. While many high quality antique samurai sword fittings were signed, not all masters saw fit to sign their creations. In fact, there are many more unsigned samurai sword fittings than signed ones. I would also like to note that it is more common for a tsuba to be signed than other mountings.
Unfortunately, translating the signature on an old tsuba can be quite challenging for those of us who are not fluent in Japanese. But once a signature has been deciphered, the tsuba can usually be attributed to a specific artistic school and perhaps dated. Below is a helpful guide to tsuba signatures that I’ve pulled from JSSUS (The Japanese Sword Society of the United States):
Signatures of the Major Tsuba Schools
| 赤尾 |
Akao |
明珍 明弥 |
Myôchin |
| 赤坂 |
Akasaka |
明弥 紀 |
Myôchin Ki |
| 葵 |
Aoi |
南蛮 |
Nanban |
| 備前与四郎 |
Bizen-Yoshirô |
奈良 |
Nara |
| 武州 |
Bushû |
西垣 |
Nishigaki |
| 長州 |
Chôshû |
信家 |
Nobuiye |
| 大五郎 |
Daigorô |
応仁 (應仁) |
Onin |
| 越前 |
Echizen |
尾張 透 |
Owari sukashi |
| 林 |
Hayashi |
早乙 |
Saotome |
| 後藤 |
Gotô |
志水 |
Shimizu |
| 肥後 |
Higo |
正阿弥 |
Shôami |
| 平田 |
Hirata |
秋田正阿弥 |
Akita shôami |
| 平安城象嵌 |
Heianjô Zôgan |
会津正阿弥 |
Aizu shôami |
| 彦根彫宗典 |
Hikone Bori Sôten |
備前正阿弥 |
Bizen shôami |
| 法安 |
Hôan |
古正阿弥 |
Koshôami |
| 伊藤 |
Ito |
京正阿弥 |
Kyô shôami |
| 加賀 |
Kaga |
庄内 |
Shonai |
| 鏡師 |
Kagamishi |
藻柄子宗典 |
Soheishi Sôten |
| 加賀与四郎 |
Kaga-Yoshirô |
典 |
Sôten |
| 鎌倉 |
Kamakura |
太刀金具師 |
Tachi Kanagu-shi |
| 金山 |
Kanayama |
太刀師 |
Tachi sh |
| 金家 |
Kaneiye |
天法 |
Tempo |
| 甲冑師 |
Katchûshi |
土佐明珍 |
Tosa Myôchin |
| 記内 |
Kinai |
土佐 |
Tosa |
| 金工 |
Kinkô |
刀匠 |
Tôshô |
| 古美濃 |
Ko Mino |
埋忠 |
Umetada |
| 古刀匠 |
Ko Tôshô |
柳生 |
Yagyû |
| 京透 |
Kyô Sukashi |
山吉 |
Yamakichi |
| 美濃 |
Mino |
山吉兵 |
Yamakichibei |
| 水戸 |
Mito |
与四郎 |
Yoshiro |
Sometimes a samurai sword fitting will be engraved with a family crest, known in Japan as a kamon. While a kamon will not tell you who made a piece, it will tell you who it was made for, which is almost as meaningful. A kamon provides a direct link between an old sword fitting and the samurai who commissioned it.
Kamon were popular with samurai because they instantly communicated clan affiliation and social status to any onlooker. But kamon were most often displayed on a samurai’s clothing. Adding one as a decorative element to the katana was completely at the discretion of an individual samurai.
Attributing a samurai sword mounting’s kamon to a particular clan might also reveal the geographic origin of a specimen, which is a nice bonus for connoisseurs. Unfortunately, relatively few antique samurai sword fittings used kamon as decorative motifs, making this method of identification somewhat less useful than it would first appear. This website on Japanese heraldry might prove useful for looking up any kamon you come across.
Being able to accurately describe the design or decoration on antique samurai sword fittings is another invaluable skill for the collector. The design choices made by the artisans tended to reflect traditional Japanese aesthetics. Major themes included geometric designs, animals, insects, holy men, ritual objects, demons, warriors and scenes from nature or daily life.
Because these motifs were recycled again and again throughout Japanese history, it is difficult, if not impossible, to date a samurai sword mounting from its design alone. Still, it is imperative for the collector to know what is being represented and its importance in Japanese culture.
Dating Antique Samurai Sword Fittings
Dating old samurai sword fittings is notoriously difficult. Traditional materials, forms, decorative elements and smithing techniques were continuously utilized for several hundred years with little change. This leaves collectors in a quandary. In extreme cases, it can be difficult to tell the difference between a 17th century tsuba and an early 20th century one!
In spite of this obstacle, it is possible to make some broad assertions that can help the aficionado to date antique samurai sword fittings, especially tsuba.
First, and perhaps obviously, early mountings are much rarer than later ones. Any material from before the start of the Tokugawa shogunate (circa 1600) is scarce. Being primarily weapons of war, these Kamakura/Muromachi/Sengoku era tsuba were almost entirely functional in nature. As a result, most (although not all) specimens were made from iron in simple egg, oval or round shapes. Decoration of early iron tsuba was generally restricted to simple pierced geometric motifs. In addition, it was not unusual for one or both of the kozuka hitsu-ana and kōgai hitsu-ana holes on either side of the central nakago-ana hole to be absent.
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According to legend, the first soft-metal (kinko) tsuba were produced in the late 15th century by the famous artisan and founder of the renowned Goto school, Goto Yujo. I would take this folklore with a grain of salt, however, as it is impossible to verify with any degree of accuracy.
The rise of the Tokugawa shogunate in the Edo era fundamentally changed the role of the samurai class in society. As real battles faded into the past and peace became the norm, samurai sword fittings became more ceremonial or decorative in nature. A high-ranking samurai’s tsuba or kashira became the perfect venue for him to advertise his wealth, social status and power.
Because of this, samurai sword mountings became increasingly lavish over the course of the Edo era. This doesn’t mean that extravagant tsuba, fuchi or menuki weren’t produced early in the Edo period – only that opulent examples are more common in the 19th century, as opposed to the 17th century. The bulk of genuine antique samurai sword fittings available in the marketplace today are from 18th or 19th century Edo Japan.
The fall of the Tokugawa shogunate and the subsequent destruction of the samurai class in the 1870s created a crisis for sword fitting makers. Most went out of business as demand collapsed, but a few still managed to hold on. These tenacious survivors continued producing small quantities of high quality goods throughout the Meiji, Taishō and Shōwa periods.
It can be exceedingly difficult to distinguish a 20th century tsuba from a 19th century Edo example. However, more modern specimens will often display a precision or crispness that is generally lacking in older pieces. It is important to note that most of the samurai sword fittings created in the post Edo era were cheap reproductions intended for the tourist market. Relatively few high quality mountings were handmade by skilled artisans using traditional methods in the 20th century.
I would also like to briefly talk about the impact of World War II on the Japanese samurai sword industry.
After Japan lost World War II, Allied occupation commander Douglas MacArthur ordered all samurai swords to be confiscated and destroyed on the grounds that they symbolized Japanese military aggression. Although this law was soon amended to preserve historically significant specimens, a large number of very fine, very old swords had already been dumped into Tokyo Bay or melted down for scrap. Presumably, an equally large number of magnificent antique samurai sword fittings were lost at the same time.
This single event was probably one of the largest art purges of all time, albeit unintentional.
Happily, American servicemen in Occupied Japan were allowed to take some surrendered swords home with them as war trophies. Due to this historical good fortune, many artistically important swords (and their mountings) were saved. It also means that a disproportionately large number of fine old samurai swords reside in the United States.
A Buyer’s Guide to Antique Samurai Sword Fittings
When investing in antique samurai sword fittings, the primary criterion is always quality. You want a piece made by a master, or at least a skilled journeyman. Good, investable specimens will always be finely finished, with incredible attention to detail. This is true regardless of whether they are made from iron or a soft-metal, like shibuichi.
Unlike many antiques, age is a secondary factor when collecting tsuba, fuchi, menuki, kashira and kozuka. Quality trumps everything. I would much rather own a superb mid 20th century tsuba than a poor quality example from the 15th century.
Look for specimens that have an even, intact patina. The exact appearance of a good patina will vary depending on the specific metal alloy used. Unfortunately, this knowledge can only be gained through experience (looking through a lot of online auction listings can help).
Conversely, avoid anything that has been harshly cleaned. Cleaned examples will often have an unnatural appearance that doesn’t “fit” with the purported age of the piece. In addition, the absence of an appropriate patina may indicate a modern forgery.
It is also wise to avoid tsuba and other sword fittings that are crude or poorly finished. Many vintage (and modern) reproductions were cast because it was a cheap and easy production method. However, these copies often exhibit unfinished seams, porous surfaces and generally bad workmanship.
Watch out for damaged pieces. With iron tsuba, this generally takes the form of fire scale, cracks, pitting or excessive rust. Damage to soft-metal (kinko) pieces is often due to botched cleanings or other mistreatment that leaves deep scratches or mechanical abrasions on the surface. Also, never try to clean an antique samurai sword mounting yourself. You are likely to strip its patina and damage it, permanently reducing its value and desirability.
Don’t be put off by small chisel marks that you might see around the central hole on some tsuba. These marks are not damage. They are called tagane ato (literally translated as “punch marks”) and were made to tightly fit a remounted tsuba onto a new sword. In fact, tagane ato can be an indicator that a tsuba has seen real use and is genuinely old. This clue isn’t foolproof, though; tagane ato can be faked.
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I would also like to note that most fake antique samurai sword fittings in circulation today originate from China. Therefore, it is a cardinal rule to never, ever buy old Japanese swords or their paraphernalia from China! You are almost 100% guaranteed to get a worthless reproduction.
Stick to buying exclusively from trustworthy dealers instead. Many of these established dealers are located in Japan, but sell internationally via eBay. Respected dealers from the United States and Europe also sell on eBay.
Prices for old samurai sword fittings can vary greatly depending on quality, age and materials. All else being equal, you should expect to pay more for a tsuba made of shakudō or a precious metal, versus one made of iron, copper or some other base metal.
Old samurai sword mountings that are richly decorated will generally be more desirable and expensive than those that are plain. One exception to this rule is very old, pre-Edo era tsuba, which can be quite pricy even with little in the way of decoration.
Good quality antique samurai sword fittings start at just over $100, although I have heard of one lucky buyer picking up a genuine Muromachi era iron tsuba for $20 on eBay! There are many fine specimens available in the $200 to $400 range. If you’re willing to spend $800 or $1,000, you can expect to score a superlative piece, like this signed Edo era tsuba from the Ishiguro School. At $1,500 or $2,000 you are easily into museum quality territory.
I find it amazing that you can hold a centuries old piece of the samurai legacy in your hands for only a couple hundred dollars or less. It boggles the mind that these cultural treasures have somehow been overlooked in our modern age. However, I don’t expect this opportunity to last forever. One day these jewels of old Japan will be recognized for what they are, and prices will be much higher when that day comes.
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