Tsuba, or sword guard, is the fitting between the hilt and the blade of a sword. It balances the sword, guards the hand, and prevents the grip from slipping toward the blade.
This tsuba is thought to have been made by a craftsman of the Hayashi family active in Higo province under the Hosokawa family's protection. The Hayashi family originally were from a line of Owari gunsmiths, and are said to have come to Higo together with Kato Kiyomasa. Hayashi Matashichi was the first of the group and made many open work tsuba.This is one of the sixty-five tsuba from the collection of the late Mr. Ota Hideo that was donated to the Museum in 1994.