Spartancrest

I think you might need a days head start in any battle.

Close? The Norimitsu Odachi is a huge sword. It is so large, in fact, that it was said to have been wielded by a giant. It was forged in the 15th century AD, measuring 3.77 meters (12.37 ft.) in length, and weighing as much as 14.5 kg (31.97 lbs.)

Now you need the others in the set! Horses: & Daimyo procession: 280 mm x 252 mm 275mm x 245mm x 7mm Weight 1884g There is another type but it is constructed differently and may be from another company.

I think you are correct - from the dates it must have been a very speedy "repair" - it will be interesting to see if they make a profit from the work!

Found a very poor example that has sold on 25/8/2025 so also not long ago - these are definitely trying to get together! https://www.jauce.com/auction/u1197263335 looks like 70 mm diameter Also a papered one - excellent condition. No idea what the papers say and it looks like a Japanese facebook site. https://www.facebook.com/japaneseSword.Yushindou/posts/商品入荷のお知らせ特別保存刀装具-鑑定書付蕪透図-佐渡鍔-利姓よく練られてた上質の鉄地に蕪の葉を画面一杯に彫りアクセントに銀象嵌を施されています利姓のセンスの良/1376497902499900/ Hmm. . . you don't see any, then they turn up everywhere!

I don't recall seeing that pattern before either, plenty of Daikon or Nasu but not this pattern - It has almost a "Valentine Heart" look to them. I might go looking for something to compare them to.

I noticed a fairly good Sado "turnip" tsuba selling a week ago and noticed today possibly the pair or at least a utsushi that could match. There are no guarantees that these two are indeed a pair and one looks a lot more worn or neglected than the other. I find it very strange that these two have "reunited" in the same time span and come from two different sellers from two different prefectures - Synchronicity? Or are they trying to get back together? https://www.jauce.com/auction/h1198288489 74.5mm x 72mm x 6.4mm. Weight: 159g And https://www.jauce.com/auction/o1197857776 71mm x 70mm x 5mm I won't be bidding on these as they don't fit my current Kawari-gata "craze" but I do think they present an opportunity for someone else to grab. Good luck! [Yes I realise these are not "High End" but that is subjective at best!]

I do love odd shaped tsuba - but really! https://www.jauce.com/auction/e1197577920 Antique and signed it says - Oh yeah! So not like a thousand like this one then? https://www.fromjapan.co.jp/Japan/jp/auction/yahoo/input/t1110482883/ or https://jp.mercari.com/item/m83676371999 https://ru.pinterest.com/pin/313352086570656895/ What were they thinking? Crap into scrap?

I did think the guard was decorated with two or more tones of gold, it gives it a more "aged" look. Yes a little light clean wouldn't hurt but it is in pretty good condition. A lot [most] of guards look much better in hand, lighting conditions often either fail to reveal true condition or overplay it. JMHO

Nunome-zogan, [gold overlay] very nice Ume/ategane with "cat scratch" decoration - there are several styles and they all have Japanese names [I hope others can clarify the type]. Very nice genuine piece.

Colin, one in the Ashmolean collection with two "letterboxes" - I presume they mean box for keeping letters, not something the postman sticks a delivery into! Unlike your guard the two boxes are both shown with the lids on. [sorry, I am a dog with a bone when I go looking for images ] https://www.ashmolean.org/collections-online#/item/ash-object-365270

I am going back to the document box idea. This guard is much later than the tosho. From Grev. Cookes book on the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

I think the sukashi shows the two parts of a "Fumibako" or document box - there is even a round hole alluding to the bronze ring used to thread a ribbon to secure the two pieces.

Willkommen Sensche, I agree, late Hizen with rain dragons - rain dragons routinely have a split or two tails

Good purchase - where do you find them?

Got us all thinking - great to see!

I disagree - looks like a very rare beautiful piece. No real idea what the theme is, but it reminds me of the privacy screens set up around Samurai commanders "Jinmaku" The small symbols could represent mon also seen on these screens - Just a wild theory.

The tagane-ato punches would suggest it isn't cast Iron - looks like some ten-zogan on a couple of the fan faces, seven lobes seems like a rare design lots of eight and six lobes - I wonder why seven seems uncommon?

Forest, you can always use a bamboo chopstick cut to fit. I think your spelling is a little off "Mekugi" 目釘 You can also get metal antique screw through ones https://www.jauce.com/auction/x1193511145 https://www.jauce.com/auction/v1193029774 some are very decorative https://www.jauce.com/auction/u1192803948 https://www.jauce.com/auction/b1191697412

Almost identical tsuba in this older thread, I hope it helps. Yes, Tiger and Bamboo theme is common AI says : In Japanese culture, the pairing of tiger and bamboo represents strength, courage, and flexibility. The tiger, a symbol of power and resilience, is thought to be the only animal that can navigate dense bamboo forests, making it a metaphor for strong leadership and a harmonious society. Found another tsuba image https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/326709526637 Looks like the design is a Bushu speciality. Grev. Cooke has this in his PDF. http://www.nihontomessageboard.com/articles/78_Tsuba_from_the_Collection_of_Grev_Cooke.pdf

A friend suggested I do a book like the Montgomery Collection "The Art of Tsuba"- not a bad book. Only downside was it was compiled after he died - sobering thought! AI says: The image is a humorous depiction related to a fictional entity called "Spartancrest," which appears to be a bookstore or a book-related organization, indicated by the text "Please buy more books" and the person reading a book at the base of the headstone. Wow, I always wanted to be fictitious!

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/antique-jp-sword-crane-turtle-tsuba-katana very similar theme.

Hey Justyn - https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/1785329101/Japanese-antique-katana-tsuba-samurai?show_sold_out_detail=1&ref=nla_listing_details This one is honest - vintage from the 1980s but they still sold it for AU$227.27 https://item.rakuten.co.jp/shicmx/tong09/ https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007687728236.html Oh no https://www.jauce.com/auction/f1193696272 sold for that stupid high price 200,000 yen - Just one bidder! NOT A WINNER IMHO !

I found these two listed back in 2022 and 2023 - both identical except in the finer detail, the eyes and the silver sword blade tarnish pattern. I might have thought this was the same guard just re-sold at a later date, but for the fact that generally older pieces [six months in this case] don't get better and change that much in so short a time. [2023 invaluable.com] It is the same guard as https://www.zacke.at/auction/lot/221-toshinaga-a-superb-suaka-tsuba-depicting-shoki/?lot=31121 that Sold for €3,120 I think someone got stung big time back then. When you consider that a supposed genuine piece sold for that much back then, why would the seller of this new copy be content to list his piece on a run of the mill auction site like Jauce? Why is he not selling it through Christie's or one of the other big companies? [Not that Christie's, Bonhams etc know what they sell!]

The dealer should have taken the money and run! But no he is greedy and re-listed it at a huge starting price 200,000 yen - I do hope people give it a closer look next time they bid [if ever]. I don't like all those little holes in Shoki's hair and the "paint" should always stay within the lines children! Good copy compared to many, but still it should be advertised as what it is - a copy. This might not be the place to say it but as none of these - even the utsushi "real ones" - have ever been near a sword, are they tsuba? Or are they in reality "tsuba like" objects of art?