Marius

Steve, Many thanks! I just couldn't crack that "水" Please note that the "mei" is on the ura. So maybe it is an inscription, and not the artist's name. In which case 田水 would be either ta mizu or den sui. Water in a rice paddy... I admit, it is a strange one...

Gents, I am at loss about the second kanji. The first seems to be 毋, but the second? Is it 乃 ? Apologies, I am hopeless when it comes to mei... And many thanks for your help. It will be appreciated

SOLD, thank you.

HOLD

More pics...

Gents, a sturdy tanto, a long yoroi doshi. Comes in shirasaya, with nice copper habaki. NBTHK has attributed it to Uda Tomotsugu, while NTHK thought it is a Bizen Osafune Kiyomitsu. You decide what works best. Nagasa 25.4 cm Motohaba 24.8 mm Motokasane 6.4 mm Hada: itame nagare Hamon: nie deki, sunagashi, nice big formations of nie I think it is this sword smith (from Sesko's Index): TOMOTSUGU (友次), 5th gen., Tenbun (天文, 1532-1555), Etchū – “Etchū no Kuni Kawasaki-jū Tomotsugu saku” (越中国河崎住友次作), “Hikokurō saku Tomotsugu” (彦九郎作友次), first name Hikokurō (彦九郎), he signed also with his place of residence, that is to say Kawasakimura (川崎村) written as (河崎) without “mura” (村, “village”), he was active from Tenbun to Eiroku (永禄, 1558-1570), most of the extant Uda-Tomotsugu blades go back to this generation, the jigane is a standing-out itame-nagare, the hamon is a gunome in ko-nie-deki mixed with ko-midare and sunagashi, the nioiguchi is subdued, chū-jō-saku SOLD

Allow me to chime in. As you know, I do not recommend tsuba indiscriminately. I do it only in cases where the tsuba is exceptional. Now, this is such a case. Unlike so many other schools, Sado Island masters have retained true martial spirit in their work even in the "weak piping time of peace" that was the mid Edo period. I know that John's photography does not do the tsuba justice. and that it looks much better in hand. What I see here is excellent iron and a very dynamic motif that makes this massive tsuba anything but plain or boring. This is the work of a true master. Needless to say, that if Mr Haynes stated that this work is rare, then that's what it is. A great opportunity to purchase an exceptional tsuba for what I see as a great price.

Thanks Curran!

I will get measurements later. Please note how well the copper plugs are carved to match the motif of waves - really cool work. I get Owari Fuatgoyama vibes with this one, feel free to correct me (Curran? Please?). Needs some TLC, is wakizashi size and really nice. HOLD ($200) incl. shipping to US and EU, Paypal fees blah blah blah, wire transfer preferred.

Gerry, he doesn’t care about yasurime, no more than he cares about about art swords. He is interested in the quality of the blade, as a function of steel/forging/quenching and tempering. For the same reason he doesn’t care about what hada his swords will have.

I don’t think pictures give it justice. I have seen it in hand and it was truly fantastic. I had the impression of holding a Norisuke tsuba (and that’s a compliment because he was a great tsuba maker who made many copies of famous Owari tsubako). It was so good I wanted to keep it! well done Manuel! 😊👍🏻

Gents, I need an orphan menuki. Please pm me or post in this thread. I have no preferences, and tobacco pouch clasps are OK, too. Thanks!

SOLD, many thanks!

Not sure about the age of this (Meiji?), but it seems to be an utsushi of a nodachi tsuba from the Futarasan shrine. Suitable as decoration, or for mounting, if you find a sword of the suitable size I attach pictures of the original at Futarasan. Measurements: 10.6 x 10.2 x 0.65 cm at mimi., 0.35 at seppa dai SOLD thank you!

Again, one of those under-appreciated tsuba that predate Edo. Not sure if the iroe is later to the tsuba (it might well be), but it makes the whole composition attractive. Chrysanthemum and paulownia, plus delicate gilding around the edges of the sukashi, which I believe is also of heraldic nature. Nice tagane in the substantial nakago ana. 7.9 x 7.7 x 0.5 cm at mimi, 0.3 cm at seppa dai. A very attractive tsuba, yours for: $250 incl shipping to EU and US, excl. PayPal.