LS#110 FUCHI/KASHIRA 18-19th C Japanese Edo Antique Koshirae Sword Fitting “Insects“

Antique Japanese Sword Fuchi Kashira Set Cicada and Broom Motif Edo Period

Description
Antique Japanese sword fuchi kashira set from the Edo period, decorated with a finely modeled cicada perched above a broom. The fittings are executed in mixed metals with subtle gilt highlights and darkened ground, showing careful hand work and natural surface wear consistent with age.

The cicada motif appears in Japanese sword fittings as a symbol of renewal, restraint, and impermanence, reflecting ideals of quiet endurance and moral clarity. The broom is a rarer element in tosogu, associated with purification, preparation, and the clearing away of impurity or illusion. Together, the imagery suggests personal cultivation and renewal rather than overt martial display, aligning with Zen influenced aesthetic values favored by educated samurai during the Edo period.

The surfaces show honest wear, soft edges, and patina developed over time. Inlays and relief elements remain intact, with no modern repairs observed. The interior surfaces show expected age and mounting wear from use on a mounted sword.

A thoughtful and uncommon motif well suited to a collector of Japanese sword fittings, Edo period symbolism, or Zen influenced decorative arts.

Details
Object type fuchi kashira sword fittings
Material mixed metal with gilt details
Motif cicada and broom
Period Edo period
Condition age appropriate wear and patina consistent with use
Origin Japan