Curran

Some very talented artists are 'on record' for hating nanako. Nidai Kanshiro was apprenticed to the Goto for 10 years, largely doing nanako. He didn't manage to finish the 10 years If you study enough of his *few* Nishigaki works with nanako, you can literally see frustration in the placement on menuki. I would say that he liked to 'fudge it' in the extreme corners.

You beat me to it. It also seems Chris wrote it up before. When I was more into swords than fittings, I was shown an Inoue Shinkai with similar damage. That burned into the brain fairly hard.

Kyo is short for Kyoto. Kenjo (in this context) is sort of a general term for certain type of tsuba. Slightly more bling (with gold) for going into town type of dress up, but not a tsuba that cost an arm and leg to have. The tsuba equivalent of wearing cuff-links. Usually associated with Kyoto.

@eternal_newbie thank you for the adds on this one. I was unfamiliar with them as a yokai. 送り犬

Hamano school. Workmanship says someone close to Shozui (aka. Masayuki), or along the Shozui line. It is good these are unsigned. When the Europeans came, dealers would often add a gimei 'Shozui' signature to upgrade these for sale to the west. This is my honest opinion. I hope it helps. I don't collect Nara schools work, but this is a nice example in shibuichi.

Still, a lovely post @JohnTo It was educational to me. Lovely tsuba too. If there are any particularly nice mimi shots, do share. Thank you. Curran

Oh baby, I'm SO up for a ride on the TARDIS. Bring back Prince and let us party like it is 1999. Alright- enough thread hijack here. My apologies. Others please help the OP at your discretion.

I know. Can you take me back to the 20th Century, when I still had belief and faith in institutions of learning and of government?

Good- I was scrolling down hoping someone had bought the shi-shi. Decent waki-goto or kyo-kinko. [Edit: I see I was mistaken. #1 shi-shi still available. It seems there was a tanto pair of shi-shi. Image must have been taken down.] Personally, I am surprised that nobody has bought #8. I'd guess them for Umetada work, influenced by the Ezo style? Anyone had a Japanese made fitted box in the last year? The fellow I used is no longer available.

Yep. Many a university museum has trays and drawers of tsuba sitting in the shadows. I won't say which Ivy League university, but one of them has quite the sea of tsuba tucked away in a basement.

Kantei: Owari tsuba of a rare Dalek mon design. Perfectly Authoritarian, in keeping with the politics of that region.

Very off. An Akasaka design with a lot of fakes floating around. That and the Axe + Lightening design. Rust them up a bit, and someone might think they are real. ----Avoid----

Again, close to home. MacTavish <-> Campbell

"If you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you" @Spartancrest Dale, I think you just pointed out the Abyss staring back at me. The tartan one sent shivers down my spine.

#1) Bushu - there is a lot of low end Bushu, hiding the fact that there are some very high end Bushu #2) Ko-kinko - same as above. There are low end ko-kinko worth $100, on up to high end ko-kinko worth $45k The wide spread in values of certain large groups results in a propensity to value some exceptionally fine tsuba downwards towards the center of the bell curve.