George234

Dear Dale, Thank you very much for your quick and insightful reply and for the link to the pefect and comprehensive article. It had not occurred to me that the tsubas were modified and beautified in various ways in later times... With thanks Jiri

Dear tsuba lovers, I am just a humble beginner in your field and would like to acquire a few nice pieces for my starting small collection. In my search, I also noticed your discussion on saotome/tenpo tsubas, which I find more attractive than the highly decorated tsubas or the soft metal ones. Let me attach photos of two of them from internet sources, what do you think of them, any idea of approximate time era ? Both have the same hot stamp pattern, is it just decoration or does it mean something ? The first one has an unusual silver insertion of a cross, is this a Christian tsuba or simply just a lucky charm ? Many thanks for your comments,. Regards George