Tōshō tsuba – 刀匠鍔 – Before the specialized branch of sword guards manufacturers was established in the 16th century, tsubas were made by swordsmiths, or armourers, who were masters in the processing of iron and steel. In order to categorize a tsuba as a tōshō, it must meet specific material and construction qualitis in the historical context. Therefore, it is not enough for a tsuba from the 17th or 18th century just to come from a swordmisth‘s forge. In order to be able to call it tōshō, it must meet attributes that have formed this tsuba group in their space-time.
