{"product_id":"original-17th-century-edo-period-japanese-perforated-round-iron-tsuba-cross-guard-maru-gata-shape","title":"Original 17th Century Edo Period Japanese Perforated Round Iron Tsuba Cross Guard - MARU GATA Shape","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Item: Only One Available. This is a lovely Japanese TSUBA (鍔 - cross guard) dating from the early EDO Period (江戸時代, Edo jidai) or Tokugawa period (徳川時代, Tokugawa jidai) of Japanese history. This is the period between 1603 and 1867, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional daimyo.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDuring this time NIHONTŌ (日本刀 - Japanese swords) were in wide use, and came in a variety of shapes and sizes. This TSUBA is of the MARU GATA (丸形 - round shape) type, and is made from iron, very common for the period. This size would have usually been used on either KATANA (刀 - single sided sword) or WAKIZASHI (脇差, - side inserted [sword]), and it features two HITSU-ANA holes near the center, one for a KOGAI hair ornament, and the other for the KOZUKA handle of a KOGATANA knife. This allowed these to be removed while the blade was still sheathed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt has a perforated design, and in this case is mostly open, with some nice designs on both sides. It measures 2 13\/16\" in diameter, and the NAKAGO-ANA hole in the center shows some SEKIGANE filler near one end to keep it firmly in place. These would often be re-used with different blades, so they needed to be adjusted to fit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe TSBUA has a lovely patina, and would be a great addition to any katana or wakizashi that has a missing or damaged cross guard. Ready to research and display!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45192961523781,"sku":"ONJR26JURA069","price":195.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/119F4BBD-C463-4245-860D-CC799C6FF5B2.jpg?v=1782154161","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-17th-century-edo-period-japanese-perforated-round-iron-tsuba-cross-guard-maru-gata-shape","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}