| The Musashino Abumi motif depicts a stirrup placed alone in a vast field of susuki (pampas grass). Neither rider, horse, nor battle scene is shown; rather than martial valor, the design expresses quietude and the aesthetic of mono no aware—a sense of transience and gentle melancholy. It may be regarded as a cultivated motif appreciated by the samurai class.In this piece, the Musashino landscape is rendered in gold nunome-zōgan, while the stirrup is represented in kage-sukashi (silhouette openwork), forming a Musashino Abumi design tsuba. It bears a gold inlaid kao (stylized seal) and is a finely made work. It is attributed to Kyō-kenjō and passed the NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu shinsa in 2013. |
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