Spartancrest

That said, pocket watches or the like were items of Western ephemera. I could see why Japanese people in the Edo Period with a fascination for Western culture might want such a design. Essentially, it is for the same reason that we obsess over Tosogu in this forum! [Quote from Jake6500 Posted August 22]

Same guard? https://ikedaart.net/?pid=157631118

Tats! Get inked!

Super chunky rim - I don't think it is a close "relative", naive or even crude? https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/126135397583

As Chris has said it is a good idea to check any openings and the outside edges. Here are a few more points to look out for [there are lots more] This example has an excellently done "signature" but it can't be real because the tsuba has so many faults pointing out it is modern and a fake. As a rule I always suspect a signature and don't buy just on that basis - buy for the quality, if the signature turns out to be good so much the better.

Another - chunky version that sold recently. Not as nice as yours Colin but something to compare. https://www.ebay.com/itm/186569600604 sold August 12th.

Come on you know you want one! They certainly make an entrance statement! Now that is a DOOR HANDLE ! https://silkroadyamb...ndle-grab-old-style/ https://www.etsy.com...r-handle-pull-katana [PS THEY COME IN THREE COLOURS AND MATCHING PAIRS OR SINGLE] I wanted one but could not justify the expense so I just used a cast tsuba. [Also over on the cast tsuba thread]

At last a good use for CAST tsuba. I converted this cast guard into a door handle on my barn door.

Ron - first, welcome to the forum From your images are we seeing just the one side of the tsuba? If you check this image you will see two modern "reproductions" showing that they were injection moulded on one side but not the other. So check the other side of the guard. I have to agree with Colin that it looks like yours is almost identical to two of the modern ones. One of the modern ones is trying to sell at an unbelievable price!!

Tim, a large following of tsuba used the same flower container motif. It would not surprise me if your Kozuka went along with a matching tsuba. Numbers 5 & 6 look like the oldest? [straying a little ] and may as well add one extra.

Well this guy the "Backyard Blacksmith" https://www.jauce.co...j2hmyuc?search=tsuba is a big fan of the stuff - all his work is uniformly coloured with the same artificial patina. It stands out. [but in this case not in a good way!] JMHO

Hi Colin have you seen this? https://www.jauce.com/auction/d1158008208 obvious differences but a lot of similarity particularly the bottom of the guard where the stems come together. I don't think the seller has attributed it to any particular school or smith which is a pity.

Well I have to admit one of those Antler tsuba is mine! Number 5 with the metal seppa-dai - not much bigger than a fifty cent piece with its own custom box [also not much bigger than a matchbox!] Had it since 2018 - is there a statute of limitations?

You bet! Like swallowing a fish hook - fishes revenge?

A friend sent me a link to a strange looking tsuba design currently up for auction: The image [eventually] sparked my memory of a similar themed guard in the Royal Ontario Museum: However that description just does not gel [a design of leaves "After the style of Risei of Sadol"] Having found that image, I found another from Japan with a much more plausible explanation of the design. https://www.seiyudo.com/tu-120519.htm Bream bones With that clue I found this image which would seem to confirm the fish bone accuracy. What do others think?

It is just YOU. No there are some "spectacular" fakes getting about [But this is not one of them!]- the production techniques are improving all the time - I don't envy future generations at all. Is there such a thing as "Deepfake tsuba"?

https://en.japantrav...antler-cutting/23785 I fed some deer at Nara in 2016 - we were at the wrong time of year to see the antlers being cut. Just out of interest some of the antlers have become tsuba! Oh no! https://www.jauce.com/auction/g1157889471 Yes you guessed it - FROM NARA!

A couple of other examples: 1. a Facebook site for a Japanese dealer https://www.facebook...sumoto/?locale=es_LA This one was sold back in January [price unknown] 2. An example from Greville Cooke's book on the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery number 1930M731 75 mm x 72 mm x 5 mm. 3. From the Cleveland Museum of Art number 1919.302 70 mm in Diam. 4. Ashmolean Museum , Oxford number EAX.10673 https://jameelcentre...ction/8/object/21277 http://jameelcentre....0/EA_X_10673-a-L.jpg 5. & 6. From Cornell University and a Bonhams auction back in 2008 where one sold for £780 7. Christies auction https://www.christie...m/en/lot/lot-4962432 An Akasaka Tadatoki Tsuba Edo period (19th century), signed Tadatoki saku. With a delicate lobed rim and pierced with chrysanthemum petals and leaves around the edges and carved on the web with leaves in ke-bori 2 5/8in. (6.8cm.) [18 Sep 2007] - are they cheaper by the dozen?

Probably correct, I thought the smaller one was like a "closer up" image of the same view - but there are a lot of cobbled together "Daisho"

Getting totally but I just found a daisho with a similar theme to the one you had Colin - in Iron https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/395806842143 I don't know but a daisho that looks that intact seems very reasonably priced, I thought it would be worth more than what it is being offered for?

Skater boy comes from: The Edward Wrangham Collection part V 5 November 2014 London Lot 11 Description: Ichinomiya school, 18th to 19th century carved in relief with Hangai (in Chinese, Fan Kuai) carrying a door, signed Sessan with kao, 7.6cm (3in). I don't know, but if that is a DOOR under his arm, what is his right hand resting on? The gate to Jurassic Park?

Estimate at the auction was Est: €1,600 EUR - €1,920 EUR November 08, 2013 I can only imagine what it would cost today! Cockerel on a drum nothing like the style we are looking for. This has the triple tomoe [mitsudomoe (三ツ巴)] on the drum head.

All I can find are two with the same type of drum, no rooster.

Some references refer to Noshi [shaved dried abalone] as being wrapped in coloured paper or fabric - so you may be correct both ways. Things change and now Noshi can refer to the paper "gift wrapping" alone. I guess the more elaborate the Noshi the more thought has gone into the gift? A group of nine-item engagement gifts, including dried abalone (2nd from right), dried bonito (4th from right), dried inkfish (5th from right), dried kelp (6th from right)

Oh the late 70s and 80s - those were the days for Bolo ties! https://www.jauce.com/auction/w1119742428 never used - must have been a gift at the end of the trend!