Ko-Kinko Tsuba

A delicate and blackish plate of shakudo decorated with a traditional flower bouquet on fine nanako ground.​

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The piece likely dates back to the late 16th century and would have been quite expensive back in the days. The shakudo is darkish black, indicating a high gold content in the alloy. The chiseling is done delicately and the carving is quite deep.

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The flower bouqet depicts three classical japanese flower motifs: wisteria (top middle), Chrysanthemum (top right and left bottom) and Camelia (top left and bottom right). They are traditional symbols of longevity, the imperial family with power to rule and - a possibly red camelia - a symbol of a noble death as warrior respectively. All of these carry great meaning and deep values, so it is an enjoyable thought that this high quality valuable piece might have been made for a court nobleman some 450 years ago and given as an equally noble gift.

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