Tsuba antique 古代の鍔

Here you will find our selection of sword guards, Tsuba 鍔.

Tsuba have been used since ancient times on blades of Chinese and Korean origin, and were then often drop-shaped. With the mastery of forging techniques and the creation of the Japanese sword, the sword guard became the round Tsuba we know today.
Before the Edo period, the Tsuba was simple, mainly functional and utilitarian: it protected the hands and blocked a sword strike. With a basic, rather rough finish, they were often made by the blade smiths or by the armor makers.
It was during the Edo period, with the artistic boom brought about by the country's stability, that Tsuba (and the other mounting fittings) became works of art in their own right, with famous schools of production. A wide range of materials, shapes and ornamentation techniques exists.