Spartancrest

I loved your first prototype and the new ones look very elegant without being overpowering. I wish you every success with these, are you planning to market them? I hope you don't mind me adding the earlier thread for the new people? https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/44246-tsuba-stand/

Hey I had to do this by hand - where was AI when I needed it! Where is the AI "kill switch?"

Looks oddly "oily" - not impressed with the "paint on highlights"

bit better image from Brit Museum Find it here: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/A_1952-0211-42 One for sale with papers? https://world-seiyudo.com/product/tu-070924/ The rotund guy has a slightly terrified look. May have sold? https://www.seiyudo.com/tu-070924.htm One "tsuba?" from the British Museum that probably shouldn't be there! https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/C_2003-0909-2

Not enough gold! AI will be the death of us! You will never be able to trust any image ever again! Personally I prefer a tartan texture!

My stepdad used to do that when attaching the ends of his fishing pole together. Puts a new meaning to "sticking your nose in to something"

This example from a still active company with hundreds of faked/copied designs, operating out of Osaka https://www.jauce.com/user/9sBuThXpTqPVk2Hk6fEs19XhMiFkU?&search=tsuba&n=100&page=1 I did toy with the idea of doing a catalogue with the fakes and the original piece they are based on - but it might end up being a very very thick book!

If it is lacquer I would leave it, it is difficult to remove without taking patina off at the same time - keep moisture away from it - moisture under lacquer will do more damage than unlacquered metal. Lots of tips here but not much dealing with lacquer I think.

Hi Tim welcome to NMB. Do they have Terrazzo corn snakes in Japan or something similar? No menuki on the tsuka?

[I guess the word "utsushi" wasn't in the vocabulary of these early collectors?] From "Ornamental Ats of Japan" 1884 by George Ashdown Audsley - "Although we have in the course of our studies, examined thousands of guards, we do not remember ever to have seen two exactly alike" From "The Scottish Arts Review Vol 1 Japanese sword-guards" by J. P. MacGillivray 1888-89 - "From the variety of designs it would almost seem a first principle with makers of sword-guards in Japan that there should be no two alike. There is nothing characteristic of wholesale manufacture about them." Wow how things have changed!

Jean there are others - of course. https://www.sellingantiques.co.uk/1089133/Japanese-meiji-period-iron-tsuba Worse when they copy a crap copy!!! https://fi.pinterest.com/pin/696932111117232603/ omote view of another sold at auction https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/a-bronze-wolf-under-pine-tsuba-ein-tsuba-aus-bron-261-c-f28490a948

Do I have to? https://www.ebay.com/itm/116660887829 Even this one is trying for twenty times its worth! [50 times maybe?]

One in a group of three auction - looks very similar to James' piece https://www.jauce.com/auction/h1227700475

Alexander I also did a four volume book series on the A.H.Church collection - the unpublished Koop catalogue in book form with the addition of both views of the guard, which unfortunately the museum's online resource does not have.

Is this the link John? https://www.aoijapan.com/tsubakishu-ju-sadanaganbthk-tokubetsu-hozon-tosogu/ A sold example Kishu Ju Sadanaga https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/326823576742?srsltid=AfmBOooDqcgIxmv03s_wR7cQ7XFjIeKKX6whNdNtt8f67q0RrvY9ApMm https://www.bonhams.com/auction/16021/lot/139/an-iron-tsuba-by-kishu-no-sadanaga-teimei-mid-edo-period/ About thirty guards down the list is this one from https://www.toukenkomachi.com/index_en_kogatana&tousougu&youhin.html Looks like Sadanaga varied his style a lot [if it was the same guy and not several with the same name?]