A tsuba (sword guard) with a carving of a waka poem by Ki no Tomonori, who knew both color and fragrance. "Kimi narade tare ni misen ume no hana iro o mo ka o mo shiru hito zo shiru" (A poem composed when offering plum blossoms to someone) To whom other than you should I show these plum blossoms? No, I will not show them to anyone. Because only you understand the beauty of their color and the splendor of their fragrance. Ki no Tomonori was a government official and poet of the early Heian period. He was the son of Ki no Aritomo (Ariyu), Gon no Shōfu of the Kunaicho. His official rank was Rokui and Dainai-ki. He was one of the Thirty-Six Immortal Poets. Size: Length: Approximately 8.8cm Width: Approximately 8.1cm Thickness: Approximately 4mm (Please forgive any slight errors as this was measured by an amateur.) Comes with a special box. (The box will be selected randomly from our stock, so it may differ from the one in the image.) There is some age-related wear. Please understand that, due to the nature of antique art, there may be age-related soiling and damage.