Traditional Japanese culture is extremely sensitive to seasonality in artistic motifs and personal adornment. This tsuba evokes autumn through its decorations. The front shows two ducks under the reeds. On the back, a full moon shines over reeds. Autumn was the time to hold moon viewing parties on nights with full moons. Furthermore, pairs of mandarin ducks are a sign of conjugal fidelity because they mate for life.
<bdi><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q65040656" class="extiw" title="d:Q65040656"><span title="Japanese swordsmith">Shimamura Mitsuyoshi</span></a>
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circa 1875 <div style="display: none;">date QS:P571,+1875-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1480,Q5727902</div> (late Edo-Meiji)
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