Pair of Tsuba Sword Guards |
for Daisho Pair of Long and Short Swords With design of fighting warriors Signed “Soten of Hikone in Omi Province†By Kitagawa Soten Edo period, 18th century Gift of Ii Family |
The tsuba sword guard is decorated with raised designs of figures and waves embellished with gold inlay. Soten was a highly acclaimed goldsmith from Hikone, who excelled in the kind of techniques employed in this example. Other surviving works also display similar exuberance.