Spartancrest

An inlay design to add to your group of images - the birds face right and left "outward" to the rim

https://www.jauce.com/auction/s1224988813 a close look at the left hitsu and you get another "cat face" - a bit chubbier maybe we can classify a whole new style of hitsu by the type of feline species? Perhaps Dobby wearing some cat ears on the right? And yes there is a cat called "Dobby" he has FOUR ears -

Well maybe a Cheshire cat amongst the karigane!

An "Owari" you might notice the birds are inverted - pointing towards the seppa-dai rather than the mimi. https://www.choshuya.co.jp/senrigan/抱茗荷雁金透鍔（鐔）　無銘　尾張/鍔/尾張 Afew in this older thread https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/44479-wild-geese-in-the-clouds/

Well not this one anyway! https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/188197194660 big money! $47

Well no surprise there - I have compiled my own book with dozens [at least 62] of tsuba designs replicated over and over [and not all cast copies] One particular pattern of the rain dragon has now reached 162 individual examples. A question better asked of Grev Cooke as he did the book - but yes I would say it was iron. A great number of guards were copied between schools so once again it is very possible for a design to be attributed to more than one school.

Hi Tim - I went through my books - - all 98 - - and found another utsushi in Greville Cookes book - "The Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Tsuba collection V2" You might like to ask Kissaki for a better image. I don't suppose it was in that book where you first saw it? You might notice the bird has lost some of its tail in this example.

This one is also odd - found in the Ashmolean museum - 75 mm x 72 mm Notice the "niku" [raised trimmings] around the whole of the opening - the hole was made that way

Not sure of book but this is an utsushi from Mauro's post https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/42631-tsuba-identification-help/#comment-437050

Is this the same guard as from the Michael Tomkinson collection? Now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Come on you know you need some "new" sizzle plates! https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/287169240470

Well that is a great price for something of historic value. As a talking piece alone I think you have done well. [I have an overly large collection of "tsuba" paperweights myself - still interesting things ]

An example from the Ashmolean museum EA1978.250 The size of the hole may have been altered even more, to be used as a maedate "crest" but I think it was first used for a practice sword. Another opinion of the useage here: http://www.nihonto.us/ONIN NAGAMAKI TSUBA.htm But I think it more likely these were used on wooden practice swords as others have stated This one - is anyones guess - not suitable for a practice sword - maybe a maedate. [or a bottle opener ! ] one in this group of twenty https://www.jauce.com/auction/x1224304881 [probably the only one of any interest!]

I hope you didn't pay more than these? https://www.fromjapan.co.jp/Japan/tw/auction/yahoo/input/e1017827423/ or https://www.jauce.com/auction/e1017827423 SOLD 2,000 yen or you could pay ten times the price! https://www.fromjapan.co.jp/Japan/tw/auction/yahoo/input/h418421872/ or https://www.jauce.com/auction/h418421872 still running BIN 20,000 yen [OUCH!] Something similar https://www.myday.com.tw/a_myday/product_view.php?apiname=api_japan_yahoo&itemcode=k1119341799 or https://www.jauce.com/auction/k1119341799 SOLD 32,100 yen!

I like the history inherent in this piece, the hitsu was cut after it was made, then that hole was filled possibly with a smaller hole or as a solid and then re-cut even later. Only to be filled once again. The difference in metal colours certainly suggest there was a big time difference between each alteration. The fukurin? At what time was it added? Intriguing to me. PS. I am not sure the kanji in the thread title are correct - still can't trust google trans!