Tsuba Question

[glr1]

Hello Sources of All Knowledge-

 

I have a tsuba that came with a sword that belonged to my father. It is OK, but I did not pay much attention to it until I ran across a very similar one on ebay listed at a high Buy-it-Now price.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Antique-Japanese-Samurai-Katana-Sword-Iron-Tsuba_W0QQitemZ370126088122QQihZ024QQcategoryZ162978QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

I have no intention of selling mine, but wondered if this was truly a valuable piece.

 

Differences: mine has what appears to be a shakudo wropping on the edge; mine has a signature (_____ yoshi); there are traces of old gold applied to the surface.

 

Comments?? (It's OK to tell me that it is junk - I don't know enough to have a collector opinion/ego yet...)

 

Thanks

Greg

[John A Stuart]

I like this tsuba. Signed 'Yamakichi'. Ginger theme perhaps. Really in the katchushi group after Nobuie. Copy? John

[Henry Wilson]

I am pretty sure that it is a copy / fake. The quality of the metal is not right, the mei looks bad and I think it is on the wrong side too!

[Brian]

The mei looks definitely added later. It is crude and not right. However I am unsure of the tsuba. Could be genuine or amateur work.

 

Brian

[Ted Tenold]

My first impression is that the tsuba is okay. Looks like it has a shakudo fukurin on it (added later maybe?) and remnants of gold nunome (grasses perhaps?).

 

Signature is the only thing I don't like about it. Very contrived looking, and not at all well struck.