Spartancrest

A black Tiger has reappeared - https://www.jauce.com/auction/e469036800 He looks at first glance to be made of iron, however he is brass covered in some sort of black paint. The ura side shows spots where the paint has worn through and there are plenty of bubbles left over from the casting technique. Luckily there seems to be little interest from the bidding public.

Jauce and Yahoo Japan have this one, this week https://www.jauce.com/auction/s793294500 the seller is from Kanagawa Prefecture They just keep coming! Merry Christmas !!!

Chris I don't know what you are talking about, I never said Luis's guard was fake, it isn't - all I did was point out it was not the same one as in the Mino book, you could get the microscope out and cover the whole image in circles if you want, but the point is it is a beautiful piece but just not the one in the book. PS. if you are going to edit your post multiple times please point this out. [3 and counting] Great work Curran and Dirk, a picture is worth a thousand words - you must have a photographic memory like the one I have sometimes been accused of.

The image from Dirk is extraordinarily close to Luis's guard - the tagane-ato are almost exactly the same, but for some hard to spot differences you would think it was the same piece [It is not]. Are any sizes available? Forensic tosogu, you can't beat it!

The arrowhead is known as a Karimata ("Rope Cutter" / Two Pointed) They were used not only for battle but for hunting large game. They are sometimes referred to as 'rope cutters' but were most likely not used to cut ropes, as it is impossible to hit the rope at the correct angle every time it is launched. You would need a + shaped or Y shape arrowhead, as seen head on, to be sure of a cut.

There are similarities to your guard here - http://www.johnstuart.biz/new_page_11.htm MINO-GOTO TSUBA "This tsuba shows the typical Mino-bori autumn flowers theme. What differentiates this tsuba is the Goto style dragons found on the mimi. Four dragons, two that are forward facing and two that are looking behind with their heads looking over their right shoulders. This tsuba has a very fine nanakoji. I believe what we can term the Mino-Goto school developed from the Mino-bori artists which was the school Goto Yujo studied. Upon his retirement Yujo returned to Mino no Kuni and with his Kyokanagushi influenced style had created the mainline Goto Shirobei line of fittings makers. I think his influence on Mino-bori artists outside of his direct line created what can be termed the Mino-Goto school." The book Kinko Mino Bori, as mentioned by Curran has also just been listed on Jauce.com https://www.jauce.com/auction/n484286504

Hi Grev Don't you know Aussies are also called 'Diggers'? Found this guard on http://www.shibuiswords.com/tsuba.htm it hasn't got the monkey [though I have seen others that do] The kanji apparently reads as "For you" a presentation tsuba in other words. Shibuiswords has it for sale -- KO-SHOAMI $900.00 "Iron square mokko shape (iri-sumi kaku) of sukashi design of a kanji meaning 'for you'. This was a gift tsuba. Remnants of gold and silver inlay, gold representing the sun and silver representing the moon. A fair amount of the inlay is missing but cherry blossom flowers can be seen. Dates to Momoyama period, ca. 1700." (Long) 7.90cm x 8.15cm x 0.45cm One on aoijapan as well - https://www.aoijapan.net/tsuba-mumeiowari-the-kanji/ again no monkey and Maru in shape. Tsuba: mumei(Owari) the Kanji Tsuba: (NBTHK Tokubetsu Kicho Paper) Mei (signature) : mumei(Unsigned)(Owari) Length : 7.98cm x 7.90cm (3.14 inches x 3.11 inches) Thickness of rim: 0.52cm ( 0.20 inches) Jidai(era) :Edo period Weight: 116 grams Special feature: Round shape iron Tsuba, the Kanji is engraved with open work. AOI estimation paper In Kiri box. Price : JPY 65,000- I will keep 'digging'

There is one on Jauce at the moment - https://www.jauce.com/auction/t779229469 Has seen better days but currently going very cheap - at least a thousand dollars cheaper!

Greg C. There are a few designs of the 'Eight Fans' type, I did a couple of pages in my begginers book. Yours looks suspiciously like a cast example I included. The maker has tried to get around the problem of the fine 'sticks' by not having them fully pierced. [see example B ]

I also think the design is owls, however, as both hitsu are shaped differently there may be another interpretation of 'masks?' You really must admire the tsuba artists for sometimes keeping us guessing - good art.

A fake alert, expensive all too common reproduction. https://www.jauce.com/auction/r430397513 These are very well made and the iroe is often very well done but there is no inlay and the colour is only applied as a surface coating, The sekigane and ategane are simulated. Other versions have no iroe, the tegane-ato marks around the nakago-ana are always identical [though some are more 'crisp' than others]

http://www.shibuiswords.com/haynesTsu104.html Has some good information on Ichijo sekka mon tsuba. Once again the hitsu is large.

Kyle. I have found another 'stamped' guard of a similar nature in the Cooper Hewitt collection, [a frustrating Museum that has only images and no descriptions]. https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/18342315/ This one appears to be made of solid gold. You may be able to contact them for any information, there is certainly little online. You will note the elongated hitsu, longer but similar to your example.

I think Geraint is correct about it being san-mai. Having enhanced the photo you can see the outer layer has worn through on the shishi's head, the photo's definition is not good enough to see the layers in the nakago-ana very well.

I have my doubts that the two small holes are udenuki-ana, they are very small and same size - I would suggest they are Domé -ana or Saya domé-ana [same thing] A thin wire was laced through these holes and attached to the Kurigata with the sole purpose to remind the wearer not to draw the sword when it was not necessary, The Satsuma clan is famous for its use of domé-ana. [ I am not suggesting the guard is made in Satsuma - but may have been altered for the same purpose.]

Yas - That is very appropriate! 🤣

This post relates to - I have noticed an increase in these Tiger tanto guards recently, the latest I have seen has been a real disapointment. https://www.jauce.com/auction/e482832265 While most are no doubt cast and then reworked this example is not reworked and for what it is, is exhorbitantly priced. The first image shows the casting besides an example found in the Toledo Museum of Art [ old B&W photo from 1912 ] The second is a reworked piece from Worthpoint, and the last is a modern hobby piece. I have seen one in iron recently also poorly cast. They seem to follow the same manufacturing as the 'Rain Dragon' design.

Kyle - I rather like your guard it has that stamped leather look that is rather appealing [regardless of who may have made it] Sebastien - do you think the hitsu on the left was cut in later or enlarged? It eats into the Mon. Which side is the omote/ura?

There must be a run on these this week! - https://www.jauce.com/auction/c870425526 A much cleaner more decorative example.

This weeks supply has arrived ! https://www.jauce.com/auction/522772366 and before you ask, it is from a different seller from a different part of the country. And here is one from ebay with its original box! [bonus] https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Tsuba-guard-Japan-Samurai-Sword-sukashi-Engraved/402586358521?hash=item5dbc0452f9:g:C84AAOSwwMJfxxLu Indeed this particular seller has two other nambu tekki souvernirs also with their original cardboard boxes - so we can add two more designs to the non-tsuba collection. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Tsuba-guard-Japan-Samurai-Sword-sukashi-Engraved-KAZISAKU/402586355314?hash=item5dbc044672:g:fCUAAOSwnFJfxxHj https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Tsuba-Samurai-Japanese-sword-Katana-Engraved-NOBUSHIGE/402586351872?hash=item5dbc043900:g:K00AAOSwqARfxxAN

This just turned up on Jauce, it certainly follows on from the first post and you can see what that was trying to show. https://www.jauce.com/auction/h522268863 - neither are tsuba of course.

Bazza - so you are what an ordinary collector looks like! [Its not an exclusive club I hope- can I join?]🤓

Yas, I did a two page spread in my beginners book about the 'Geisha & Demon" fakes, there are so many versions it is difficult to keep track of them. Good Meiji 'reproductions' have themselves been copied - getting worse and worse over time. I believe somewhere out there is an original and I also believe it may have a roped edge fukurin - but I have so far not found it. There are other guards just like this example, some have been discussed before.

I love the tsuba, the nanako is excellent, [ not perfect ] the delineation of the seppa-dai is sharp and well done. They all look like good acquisitions. Namako [sea cucumber] and nanako (fish eggs) - fishy!🤓

Dmitry - I am no expert on sukashi guards, there are a number of schools that have similar designs. Schools show trends toward thickness or shape of rim or shape of seppa-dai but there is a lot of crossover and lots of designs are 'borrowed', so it is often just a guess who made a tsuba. Your tsuba has unusual hitsu-ana that lead me to think it is early, there is also a lot of tekkotsu ("iron bones") from first glance - but it is difficult to judge the difference between tekkotsu and partial corrosion, as your guard also displays. Tekkotsu is also a good indicator of great age and is a feature of many early Owari guards. [ http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/tekkotsu.html ] I hope some of the other NMB members can give you a better idea of your tsuba's lineage.