Kurikata

Dale, I am 100% in line with Geraint. As far as I collect Tosogu, I never saw such fragile items mounted on swords. Purely aesthetic attempts therefore...

Thank you Richard and Georges. Thank you Georges, especially , as in fact there are similarities between my tsuba Kakihan and Muto Masatoshi's one as found in "Shosenkenshu" book. Apparently Muto Masatoshi ( 正甫 )used this 正克 signature also, as stated in Haynes (H04601.0). I think I have found my guy!

Dear Peter, thank you for your answer and yes, your tsuba shows similarities with mine. But my tsuba maker Masakatsu has to be linked with another school. Which one ?

Dear all, refering to this tsuba I have no clue regarding the school... Refering to flat inlays , It might be Kaga school but the global pictures could bring to Shoami School. Your views please.

Dear all, I have this tsuba in my collection since 1989. I know the signature being Masakatsu and always thought it was Ishiguro school. But when refering to Haynes Index, no artists with such kanji are listed in this school. What is your opinion ? Is it from Yanagawa ? Mito ? Iwamoto ? Kikuhoka? Kikuchi school? Thank you for your views

If someone can give a meaning to marks in this mumei fuchi ... Thank you

I'll not go further. Last prise is € 300 or $ 350 + shipping & Paypal Fees. If not sold I'll keep them.

Item 101 signature is Tôhu or Tôu. It is the nyudo name of several Yasuchika.

Just for your interest, a similar one with one dragon and Yuko Ito Gata shape....

Nice story. Purchasing a tsuba is not only a simple business act. In my case, for each of them I remember the time, the circumstances, the way I made some savings to adquire them. By the way yours seem to be an Hizen School Tsuba.

Hi, one horse bit tsuba will be sold in Switzerland by Galerie Moenius next September 25: https://www.drouotonline.com/l/15786407-tsuba-japon-fer-16e-s-9-x-85-c?actionParam=listLot&controllerParam=lot&fromId=117518

Tanaka

€ 335 ($ 400) + shipping & Paypal Fees

Very interesting articles Mauro. But what about : " There are in the Bigelow collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, a number of tsuba, the integrity of which had been ruined in the 1880's by a thief, in an attempt to remove the shakudo and gold inlay". Does someone knows more about the story? Why to have removed soft inlays only and left the iron plate in place. Being a thief, I would have taken the entire tsuba et peacefully, at home, remove the gold.

BUMP

With the box....

Hi, This fuchi Kashira is to be sold at € 400 ($ 480) + shipping & Paypal Fees Material: Shibuichi with shakudo, copper, gold inlays Dimension of the Kashira : 3,5 cm * 1,7 cm Dimension of the Fuchi: 3,7 cm * 2,1 cm Signature : Hiro Yoshi + Kao ( 弘義 ) - Haynes H 1449.0 Hiro Yoshi is from the Murakawa Family and belang to the Mito school. He was a student of Uchikoshi Hirotoshi and died in 1841 or 1842. The Hakogaki (box) says: Gift of Masami to Hiroshi for his 20th year old birthday. Please PM if any interest

Thank you Björn , John and Charles for your comments. In fact this design of a tiger under the rain is quite common in the Tanaka school. Another exemple has been sold in Bonhams ( Edward Wrangham Collection) with almost the same feeling... :https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/20555/lot/20/

Hi , another Tanaka tsuba signed Kageharu (景春 ), I have recently purchased. Referenced in Haynes (H2340) describing him as a student of Tanaka Toshikage . I found another tsuba by him on the web : https://blog.goo.ne.jp/tsuba_001/e/16440e9a2b9d7ddb9063fa7ef976c9ed All commenst are more than welcome

Brian , you tease me ! isn't it an owl ? I have found on web site: In Japan, owls bring luck and offer protection from suffering. The reason can be found in the Japanese name for owl, Fukuro フクロウ (梟), which can be written in different sets of characters: One with the meaning of luck (福 fuku, luck; 来ku, to come; 郎 ro suffix used in boys' names), and the other as protection from hardship (不 fu, no, 苦労 kurou suffering/hardship). Through this play on words, owls have attained different attributions and have become popular as engimono (縁起物) (Japanese for lucky charms). Some people believe that the different colours and shapes of owls have different influences on the type of power and luck.

Hi, let me submit to your sagacity this tsuba I recently adquired and signed Kiyotoshi - 清壽. I didn' find a tosogu with this exact signature as Tanaka Kiyotoshi used to sign many ways . Do you think it is gimei ? Thank you

Similar one without inlays but same topic. Not as nice as yours ....School unknown.....