Glossary of Tosogu Sword Fittings

Tosogu are the metal fittings of the Japanese sword. Made by specialist craftsmen, they were collected as miniature works of art even while swords were still worn, and today they can be owned and exported without the registration a blade requires. This glossary explains the terms used to describe them.

The fittings

  • Tsuba. The guard between blade and handle, the most collected fitting.
  • Fuchi and kashira. The collar and pommel cap at either end of the handle, made as a matching pair.
  • Menuki. Small ornaments bound under the handle wrapping, which also improve the grip.
  • Kozuka. The handle of a small utility knife carried in the scabbard.
  • Kōgai. A hair arranging spike carried in the scabbard.
  • Habaki. The collar that locks the blade into the scabbard.
  • Seppa. Thin spacers on either side of the tsuba.
  • Mitokoromono. A matched set of kozuka, kōgai and menuki.

Metals and alloys

  • Iron. The traditional metal of tsuba, valued for its colour and surface.
  • Shakudō. An alloy of copper and a small amount of gold, patinated to a deep blue black.
  • Shibuichi. An alloy of copper and silver, patinated to soft greys.
  • Sentoku. A brass alloy with a warm yellow colour.
  • Yamagane. Unrefined copper with a rich brown patina.

Techniques

  • Sukashi. Openwork, with the design cut through the plate.
  • Takabori. High relief carving.
  • Zōgan. Inlay of gold, silver or other metals.
  • Nanako. A ground of tiny raised dots, punched one by one.
  • Katakiri-bori. Engraving that imitates the strokes of a brush.

Schools

  • Gotō. The official makers of fittings for the shogunate, working in shakudō and gold.
  • Nara and Hamano. Edo schools of the eighteenth century known for pictorial subjects.
  • Higo. Restrained iron fittings associated with Kumamoto.
  • Owari and Akasaka. Iron openwork tsuba in bold silhouette.
  • Umetada and Shōami. Long lived schools with many branches.

Papers and signatures

Fittings may be signed on the reverse or beside the central opening. Certificates from the Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords, the NBTHK, assess attribution and quality and are widely respected.

Related references

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