Spartancrest

I would say it is a big improvement on the first guard, Kenjo [presentation] tsuba would have been my first guess from the amount of Gold overlay - but it is obvious that it has been mounted. The images are not very clear but looks like nunome score marks on the plate, it is a technique that can have very beautiful detailed results but is perhaps the worst at retention, if actually used. Very thin overlay that is basically just hanging on and easy to peel off. Shakudo fukurin?

Pieces ready for the skip - now ready to grace the best of collections. Very well done.

Jean Can I get the job cleaning up under the conveyor belts.

Darrel you may well be right, I have seen many items listed cheaply with high postage fees or the same item listed very expensive with low postage fee - either way you still pay the same [or more if you don't watch the postage cost carefully] I saw a guard sold recently in Japan where the usual local postage to the warehouse was 1,000 yen, but in that case it was 10,000 yen - must have had an armed escort!

Not merely a Tosogu problem but a world wide waste problem - I just received a long awaited Tanto guard that I purchased back in July - the guard is un-remarkable but 'cute'. My beef is with the amount of packaging involved with shipping an object that was under 5 cm and could easily fit in a match box or padded envelope. Why do we tolerate all this extra garbage being shipped around the planet? I have had conversations with sellers about this before but nothing changes, I can well understand packaging some fragile items in this way but an all metal virtually unbreakable object need not be packed to survive being dropped from space!

First thought - you are very lucky to own it!

I can't help but notice the 'decorative' nature of the hitsu-ana on all the present examples - I was almost tempted to say Colin and Mark's pieces look like Buddhist Stupa outlines, also noticed that many guards described as Owari have the same shape of hitsu on both sides [though as usual not all] - wouldn't it be easy if there were rigid rules - but not as interesting

I find it very difficult to tell the difference between Owari and Akasaka designs- there is a lot of design overlap. This link has a guard with some of the design elements to your example perhaps it may help. Regards Dale

Looks a little overloaded! I hope the waves didn't get any higher!

For the interest of those out there - the Shibayama sold for 962,000 yen - with fees, that equates to close to $9,000 USD. Something of a drawn out battle of 214 bids! For my taste the wonky fukurin was a let down.

It looks good even if not by Ichijo, there is a faint shadow of a seppa there, but it doesn't look like it's been mounted more than the once. I tend to check whether I like the piece first and never take the signature at face value.

I don't think your example is like the usual wall hanger type, it seems much too detailed. I think even though it's cast it was made for some as yet unknown purpose with carved details to finish it off. I don't know what you paid but it certainly is a talking piece. Might be like an advertising prop? Or it may have been a spare part for this monster? https://www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-ancient-technology/norimitsu-odachi-who-could-have-possibly-wielded-enormous-15th-century-021428

Anyone need a 2 kg iron tsuba? https://www.jauce.com/auction/1002761518 they usually sell very cheaply - they also ship very expensively!

Ken, not a salamander - more likely a rain dragon 'Ameryu' [bifurcated tail tends to be a design feature of rain dragons, though not all show this] There are examples here on the NMB link of other Wan-gata guards. Particularly about half way through, with one guard of a very similar shape and a 'Greek' fret pattern matching your rim. [described later as a cookie cutter - but for my two cents worth, more like a bottle cap] Another https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/292593307040614207/ unfortunately the image no longer links to the original site. The two identical sized udenuki-ana may reflect the piece was made in China [where the function was not known] or are a design of water droplets rather than intended for a sword strap/cord. [Yes the holes are very dirty] Sorry but I can't attribute a particular school or maker.

Can anyone think why you would disassemble a Natsuo koshirae - it seems to me the parts are still less than the whole?

Has everyone missed that this guard has been mounted? How many Natsuo guards were actually fitted to a blade - does anyone know? I can't help wondering what sort of blade would have been of appropriate quality to be fitted with a top quality Natsuo piece [which most agree this is not]?

Patrick, what is the other side like?

Hi Alban I know I have already sent you the image of the Anchor for sale on ebay but that guard has a 'utsushi' or larger companion in the Princeton University Art Museum. Also a sukashi anchor, also from that collection, you might like to add to your records. y1930-65 = 83 mm x 77 mm x 7 mm y1930-63 = 71 mm x 67 mm x 5 mm

There are also some huge wall hanger decoration 'tsuba'. I have turned mine into a garden ornament. It is over 30cm tall, also a wall plaque 10 cm I believe these large 'wall hanger' tsuba are made as home decoration for certain festivals or celebrations, I have seen plain 'iron' [steel] and also copper or gilding over iron versions.

Are Shibayama truly tsuba? I love the workmanship but are they truly tsuba or just tourist ware? They could never serve the function they are imitating - so are they outside the realm of tosogu and more in the way of 'decorative foreign exchange'? https://www.jauce.com/auction/q1002008505 [There have been some problems lately with links to Jauce. - I am uncertain why.]

Bruno, If I owned it I wouldn't care who made it - I would be thankful just to have it! Beautiful piece!! [But I wish you good luck with your search]

Alban I have an image from an article published by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in 1912 of a Choshu school guard from the 18th century.

Michael I do hope we don't lose the practical nihonto/tosogu - the pretty stuff won't reflect the truth and we will be the worse without it. The duality of function and beauty can't really exist without each other. Who can even define what beauty is and what is worth saving?

Michael it looks much better with the darker image. I have the same problem with some museum examples that I look at - either too dark to see any detail or too washed out to give a proper image [sometimes you can't win] I rather like Tanto guards, they somehow seem a neglected part of collecting - size is not everything! The other guards are [sorry] pretty run of the mill, and utilitarian - made for use rather than decorative - the dragon I think is cast, the mei look overly wide with a curved indent not like you get with a sharp chisel. There are two lines which shouldn't be where they are and what looks like a rounded over edge to the nakago-ana. [could be wrong it wouldn't be the first time!]

Just a guess but it looks like it is corroded more on one side, pointing to it being stored in a not very dry container/or even under a house. Then over cleaned, there looks to be no 'patina' left [unless the lighting is harsh?] The nakago-ana looks recently cleaned might I say filed? Heianjo style with a slightly raised rim, Kiku mon [yours originally, were better defined than the example image below] and Karakusa scrolls. I think it would have been a very attractive piece and from my experience there don't seem to be many Tanto sized pieces out there (?), but as Indiana Jones said "It's not the age - it's the mileage!"