Our two shibuichi (gray colored copper-silver alloy) tsuba each with gold inlay were made in the 19th century, during the late Edo period (1603-1868) in Japanese history. The Tokugawa clan ruled all of Japan from their capital in Edo, or present day Tokyo, for more than 250 years. This period was marked by a rigid class system and incredible craftsmanship of samurai sword fittings. The Edo period was a time when the swordsmiths flourished in their trade. In the post Edo period after 1868, the prestige of the samurai came to an end as swords could no longer be worn and the great swordsmiths of the Edo period lost their trade. The incredible workmanship of Japanese tsuba from the Edo period culminated into articles of fine art that have significant intrinsic value in today’s marketplace.
To this very day, original tsuba remains among the most sophisticated and accomplished metalwork ever created and are true pieces of fine art. The tsuba reveals wonders of self-expression, beauty, charm and personal styles far beyond its practical use. In ancient times the Japanese believed that anything offered to the gods had to possess three qualities: purity, rarity and value. We believe our authentic tsuba on this site have those very traits.