Inscription (front): Made by Myōchin Muneyoshi
Inscription (reverse): August, first year of Man’en era
By Myōchin Muneyoshi
1860 (Man’en 1)
Donated by the Homma family
This sword guard features the inome (boars’ eye) motif carved on all four sides. Resembling heart shapes, this decorative element often features on Japanese armour and weaponry, including sword mounts and arrowheads.
Honesty, directness, determination — these traits are commonly associated with the boar as well as those born under this zodiac year, as a boar charges at its target with a ferocious single-mindedness. Today, the boar as a symbol has shed some of its fierce reputation, and is perceived to both attract good fortune and shield against bad luck.
Myōchin Muneyoshi (date of birth and death unknown) was a master craftsperson of the Sakai family in the Shōnai district. He was a member of the Shōnai Myōchin School, a branch of the highly respected Myōchin school of armourers.