Spartancrest

Strangely enough I was talking to a friend about the same tsuba that he was interested in [he didn't get in quick enough!] I thought the guard might be Tempo/Tenpo/ Tembo [however you like to spell it ] Tempo tend to be more random with their hammer work though and the folding is anything but random on your piece. Another possibility is it could be Myochin like this pair. Myochin like thick bold designs https://www.ebay.com/itm/375810906638

It happened to me in Nara - I can never go back to that antique shop again! [You should never ask if the salesman has any "old spit" for sale ]

I thought this was already the site for "New Age Tsubaology"? Why do you think I wear the silly hat! Don't even ask about the tsuba - it is definitely cast!!!!

I love those folded edges, I have one myself, but the plate is rather thin and just doesn't have that heft to it that Dee's purchase looks to have. Heck if I had the money I would have gotten both! PS I only paid half the catalogue price for mine.

I should have gone with Egyptian hieroglyphics or Mayan but drawing the pictures by hand is a pain.

Hey Brian, sorry to hear you have not been at the top of your game, hope you are feeling better for the next year. I just had a thought this thread could do with a retitle "Latest acquisition - More downvotes!" And around and around we go on the children's roundabout - never actually getting anywhere but lots of squabbling over who is sitting in front! PS. Dee - no point posting bad comments in foreign languages, one click away from google translate for all the members to plainly see! It isn't helping! How is your Jules Verne?

[Geez I am showing my own age with the references I use! ]

https://www.mandarin...y/kiyou-toujin-tsuba https://jssus.org/2018V50_2_Namban.html https://www.bonhams....an-tsuba-edo-period/

Michael another "man and his dog" example also from the Edward Wrangham collection. That one sold for £2,280 also back in 2010

https://www.the-sale...7c-a757-b18b0108f44a Well Michael the one you found is far superior to this one and you will find this one in one of the worlds biggest Museums - The V&A https://collections..../item/O462106/tsuba/ This similar piece sold back in 2010 for £840. Part of the Edward Wrangham collection. There was yet another of the same design recently with a red copper flag but I can't lay my hands on that image yet.

Yoko Ono melons Could be banded hair ties? It is Happy hour somewhere in the world

I spotted years ago that there is a music group called TSUBA - I have not heard any of their music but they have had several albums. [I think it is "Techno - dance music" not for my generation ] https://soundcloud.c...tsuba/popular-tracks Who knows it might be something to listen to in the background while you sort your collection out Tsuba obidome https://www.jauce.com/auction/s1166269234

There were a few FEMALE tsubaco getting about! [may not have had a Husband ]

http://nihonto.us/MOKUME DM141.htm carved woodgrain [mokume] https://galeriasavar...apanese-sword-tsuba/ a "square" version with very close elements. Not uncommon to see the same design on differently shaped tsuba [these two I think are Shoami - as I have a daisho signed Shoami Kanenori with identical carved flower motifs and nunome]

It would seem your tsuba is not unique [not many are ] 64 mm x 58 mm

This might be the thick type 94/98 Hamfish was referring to? https://www.jauce.com/auction/d1166806570 I should point out there are many fakes coming out of China trying to confuse the collector. [It does make you wonder why? When millions were made during the war and there really should be no shortage of the real thing] No locking mechanism hole but hitsu on a military tsuba that never had kogai/kozuka? It does not compute!

This is a totally different tsuba design but I can't help seeing basically plain tsuba that have been "dressed up" at a later time with varying success. This still remains a possibility with the original amida-yasuri tsuba in the first post. [Or the smith did hammer his work on an anvil he didn't clean up scrap metal from, as Dee has suggested ]

All the tsuba are correct - I presume they are up for auction on the three Japanese platforms? Mercari - Yahoo - or Jauce. I am not sure if they have appeared on ebay but I would not be surprised to see them turn up there if they were listed with a "buy it now price" on the Japanese sites. I won't post the links to the guards - you don't need extra competition in an auction. It is a balancing act posting images of what you may be interested in, between finding out if they are real or tipping other people off to a bargain. But you seem to have a good eye. One of the designs similar to this: you can find other images here https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/44894-antique-show-kozuka/ PS. Merry Christmas !

You have to feel for the poor guy who had to paint the gold on !

The guard looks like it has the finish that "The Backyard Blacksmith" has on his pieces https://www.jauce.co...j2hmyuc?search=tsuba Probably uses this Tanic acid? https://www.jauce.com/auction/u1166647207 It is not a wax covering? You could try boiling in water.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/326370267223 US $907.94 https://www.jauce.com/auction/x1165131059 US $445.65 Ebay more than twice the price

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/396043570427 probably not the type you are looking for. https://www.jauce.com/auction/q1166457501 not sakura and not sure if the wavy line is wind, wave or stem?

I am intrigued by the pock marks and indents - plus the copper(?) remnants. I was wondering if it had been decorated with gomoku-zogan at one stage and that had failed or worn off? Not all gomoku takes up all the surface of the guard and with the amida yasuri the maker would not have wanted to cover all that up - but it would make a nice background - just speculation

Well you did not get stung too bad, some "well known" fakes sell for thousands to the unwary, usually because some auction salesman gives them a glowing spiel. https://www.bonhams....period-19th-century/ https://www.invaluab...eim-220-c-19f4a14bbb https://www.ebay.ph/itm/395560256220 How about a giant wall hanger for just US $3828.65 https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/266973744942

Well I have no idea what school or maker your guard comes from but I think I can say what the kanji decoration means. 壽 Longevity