Is this the makers signature

[Adamt]

Hello all,

Would anyone be able to read what is on this tsuba?

would this be the makers signature and if so what does it say?

thanks in advance 

[Shugyosha]

英光 - Eimitsu plus kao (seal).

 

Can be pronounced “Hanabusa Hikari” but I think Eimitsu is the better bet. 

[Kurikata]

without being sure 100%, I would consider this signature being pronounced EIKO (Yamamoto Eiko, being a student of Okamoto Naofusa ?)

[Curran]

How about just "Hidemitsu" + kao

 

[Shugyosha]

Curran has it. It’s down as as “Hide or Teru” in Sesko’s Compendium. 
 

I didn’t check there as I thought I’d seen the common pronunciation in a mei recently. Just when you think you know something there’s a new way to be wrong. 😳

[Curran]

Thanks John.

I had a few spare moments and looked it up in Haynes.  I didn't see a clean match with that +kao.

 

Maybe the original poster can share more of an image of the tsuba we are dealing with.

I don't need a whole picture, but would request enough detail of any design elements so that I can narrow down which Hidemitsu it might be.

 

 

[Adamt]

Thanks everyone for their opinions,

for sure happy to post more pictures... what’s everyone’s thoughts on this piece...

here is a picture of both sides.

it has come up for sale locally and like the fact it’s possibly signed by the maker.

any idea on a time period this maker may have made this?

At first I thought it was rather ugly with the foo dog slapped on the side but something Keeps drawing me back to it..

 

[Curran]

No laddie, no.....    put your wallet away.

     This one is dead. Don't buy it unless in order to apologize to its maker and give it a proper funeral.

From the shi-shi + peony + concentric nanako work and a few other things, I'd hazard the guess that this was once Kyo-kinko work.... ie. from the Kyoto area.

 

BUT.... hard to tell. When something has been either chemically or in the ashes of a fire slagged so badly like that, it is time to give it a proper burial.  

When something is this dead, you usually have to go to the dental records to get further identification.

 

[Adamt]

 oh no I am not schooled in ancient burial techniques so I guess he can stay where he lay!

would any of the below be a good first edo era tsuba to start the collection?

none are signed so not sure if that matters 

[Curran]

From what I can see in the photos:

 

[ #1]   Iron one, with gold clouds (hint: from Kyushu)    -   YES. Definitely.   Much better than the first few tsuba I ever owned.

 

[#2]  Iron landscape with two guys near a copper pot   -   You could do worse.    A starter level tsuba from which you can learn some things.