Spartancrest

What is this then?

https://emuseum.cornell.edu/objects/18527/tsuba-with-pierced-design-of-6pointed-star-inlaid-with-squ similar technique? But the only others are in the Ashmolean museum and are listed as various offshoots of Shoami school - and that is a pretty general attribution as we all know.

How about Jauce? https://www.jauce.com/auction/s1233055547

https://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/u1224612069 Comparing the two: very, very close but not identical as far as I can tell. The reverse side is markedly different with the striation marks all over the place on Bruno's

Reminds me of a local baskeball club -

I think I have seen these before? I have an image of one with the rim removed. A common theme but each seems unique?

Another example pretty close to the original image.

There are several examples where the opposite of what is actually shown implies something else. Mice amongst rice bails - implies wealth, only people with excess food have mice. Poor people don't leave scraps- so no food for rodents.

No doubt about the subject matter in this instance! Though the description of "Carp" might be questioned? [that is an ugly fish IMHO] OTSUKI MITSUOKI: A SUPERB INLAID IRON TSUBA WITH EBISU AND CARP, DATED 1803 Sold for €4,160 The image taken from a Japanese book I have - unfortunately not in colour and the shape of the guard is different. The design is not uncommon. From Google translate [very poor]. Ebisu is implied by his absence on the guard.

The tsubako artists have had glasses for several hundred years - as shown in this Edo period woodblock - also even the Monkeys wore them!

Various types of Ishime-Ji - by their very nature they tend to be "unique" Technique : Ishimeji base, Certificate :NBTHK hozon tosogu paper (Issued 24 December Reiwa 3(2021)) https://nihontocraft.com/Ko_Kinko_Tsuba_G.htm ishime ji. This tsuba dates to early - mid 1500s Tsuba with eagle searching for prey (NBTHK paper) Modern cast examples are not "unique" in that they are numbered in the hundreds if not thousands. It is a matter of finding multiple examples and comparing- I can't find another matching the Carp, but plenty of obvious fakes with a Carp theme.

Interesting: there are two types of dragon represented. The one on the fuchi is a conventionalized "Rain Dragon" they have a bifurcated or double tail and a lions mane.

One for the ladies - Obi. https://www.jauce.com/auction/e1217356383 an expensive but attractive Obi!

Never trust Google to get it right! what about 名前のない馬 I'd stick with ロバート The kanji strokes are much easier to inscribe as well!

Welcome to NMB Fred. I vote for Kyo-Kenjo [presentation] or possibly Higo style? Powerhouse museum - A5308-13 https://collection.powerhouse.com.au/object/182968 A Kyo-kenjo from Gary Murtha's book - notice the gold edging to the hitsu-ana and the seppa-dai