| This tsuba depicts a swallow flying among the thick, powerful branches of an old tree, skillfully rendered in openwork. The pictorial composition, reminiscent of a traditional Japanese bird-and-flower painting, differs in character from the refined and delicate designs of Kyō-sukashi and the sophisticated compositions of Akasaka tsuba. Judging from the style of the openwork, the workmanship, and the well-forged iron with its deep, subdued blackish-brown patina, this tsuba is considered to be a Shōami work dating back to the early Edo period. An elegant and deeply atmospheric piece with a distinctly archaic character. |
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