- Tsuba - Heianjo Sukashi - Kasuga-yama

This elegantly openworked tsuba belongs to the Heianjō Sukashi tradition, celebrated for its refined ironwork and decorative sukashi designs. The composition features a deer striding across the right side of the guard. While deer often symbolize purity, harmony with nature, and longevity, the motif here resonates particularly with the cultural and spiritual landscape of Kasuga-yama.

The densely forested Kasuga Mountain served as an aristocratic hunting ground from the Heian period onward and was celebrated for its rich wildlife. At the same time, in nearby Nara, deer and roe deer hold profound religious significance. They are traditionally regarded as messengers of the kami, especially those enshrined at Kasuga Taisha, and their presence around shrines has long been considered a sign of divine protection and sanctity. This dual identity—as both revered animals and inhabitants of the Kasuga woodlands—imbues the tsuba’s deer motif with layers of meaning.

The openwork pattern, reminiscent of interlacing branches or foliage, evokes the forests surrounding Kasuga Taisha, where sacred deer have roamed freely for centuries. The combination of naturalistic imagery and spiritual association suggests not merely a hunting scene but a landscape imbued with religious symbolism.

Forged from dark brown patinated iron, the tsuba shows subtle traces of age and use. The slightly irregular nakago-ana indicates traditional hand-adjustment to the blade’s tang. Overall, the piece blends the natural elegance of a classical deer motif with the spiritual and cultural significance of the Kasuga region, characteristic of the harmonious aesthetic of the Heianjō school.

Dimension 75,0 mm x 75,3 mm x  5,0 mm (5,0 mm) 83,0 g