Sword Guard (Tsuba) 1550 - 1600

Editor: Here we have a sword guard, or tsuba, crafted sometime between 1550 and 1600 by the Kyosukashi School. It's made of metal, and the decorative design is surprisingly delicate. What strikes you most about this piece? Curator: I see the object’s materiality foremost: the manipulation of metal, a raw, industrial substance, into this refined form. Think about the labour involved. What does it mean to transform a material so linked to warfare into something ornamental, almost floral? How does this reflect shifts in societal power structures and consumption patterns? Editor: That's interesting. So you're saying it's less about the flowers themselves and more about the process of turning metal into art? Curator: Exactly. We should question the binary of "high art" versus "craft." This tsuba challenges such classifications. The blacksmith wasn’t just a craftsman, they were deeply involved in the culture and, quite likely, economy of sword production and ownership. Consider too the function: this isn't merely decorative, but an essential part of a weapon, signifying status and skill. Who had access to such elaborate weaponry? Editor: It blurs the line between protection and artistic expression. I hadn't thought about who controlled the access and labor of materials and their means of production, such as in weaponry. Curator: And consider what this item consumed in resources – mined metal and likely coal to fuel the process to reach high temperatures. Editor: I’m starting to appreciate how this tiny object reveals so much about the relationship between materials, production, and society. Thanks for widening my view. Curator: Indeed! This is where examining art truly reveals broader histories of resource and labour at a moment in time.