Knife Handle (Kozuka) 1650 - 1750

This is a knife handle, or Kozuka, made by Gotō Tsūjō in Japan sometime between the late 17th and early 18th century. The work connects to a fascinating period in Japanese history in which the ruling Tokugawa Shogunate enforced a rigid social hierarchy. This handle, with its gold floral decoration, served as a marker of status, communicating the rank and taste of its owner. But who was this owner? Handles such as this one would have been fitted to the scabbard of a samurai's sword. It is therefore likely that this handle was made for a member of the military elite, whose political power dominated this period. As historians, we can learn about the social world of the Samurai by looking at objects such as this. By researching the history of Japanese metalworking, the rules governing social rank in the Edo period, and the patronage of artists like Gotō Tsūjō, we can better understand the relationship between art and power in this fascinating period of Japanese history.