Spartancrest

Must be something in the water - these keep washing up! https://www.jauce.com/auction/s1233429649 This doesn't look of huge age but very hard to tell!

I agree, it is a strong contrast to the rest of the decoration - it wouldn't look so good on a polished plate.

A set of fitting here with very similar punched surface [like reverse nanako?] https://www.jauce.com/auction/r1231118933

Even the fake monkeys wore glasses - I wish I could un-see this one!

Two different metals, one each side Two different metals, one each side Four different metals, two each side. These examples from the Metropolitan museum

Beautiful - I think the price is right! Sakura falling on rafts and water, then switching to Chrysanthemums beside a stream I love the bold shape.

Nunome Zogan: From this reference Nunome-zogan is NOT originally a Japanese technique - however they certainly mastered it Nunome Zogan means cloth weave overlay and uses very thin foils - 0.02mm thick and the gold is attached to the base metal by creating a cross-hatched ground made with chisels. Around 7 - 9 chisel marks per mm created in three different directions at 45 degrees to each other. The technique is a type of Damascening that was introduced to Japan by the Portuguese in the 16th Century. The technique was originally used on Iron and Steel to decorate weapons although more recent practitioners have expanded this to include copper, brass and sterling silver. https://www.sandrawilson.co.uk/blog/nunome-zogan https://www.scribd.com/document/439904095/Numone-Zogan

What is this then? is this related?

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.