T048 - Sasa 笹

Mokko Gata (quadrilobed) shaped tsuba. Design of bamboo leaves and stems, rounded Maru Mimi border, presence Kogai and Kozuka Ana.

• Material: Iron, black patina.
• Dimensions: 83 x 81 x 4.5 mm
• Weight: 111 g

This Tsuba represents a species of bamboo, the Sasa 笹, a fairly short species that can reach 2 meters maximum, with large and wide leaves. Due to their size, they are also nicknamed 'Dwarf bamboos'.
The Sasa have been considered sacred plants since antiquity. They are used as family crests for their auspicious meaning. It is also an emblem associated with Shinto rituals and the Imperial court.
The Sasa was used Kamon (crest) by one of the 4 oldest clans in Japan, the Minamoto 源. The term Minamoto was an honorary name given by the emperors of the Heian period (794-1185) to their sons and grandsons.