Tsuba pattern

[kissakai]

Do you think this is to represent a tortoise shell?

It's not small inlayed flakes, just a trick of the light and areas where the copper is visible

 

 

[Matsunoki]

Looks more like a wasp/hornet nest?

[Matsunoki]

[kissakai]

I like the suggestions

Would they be grouped together or just a fancy

 

[kissakai]

I also found this and it's tsuba shaped and one as previous post. I think I can put this one to bed!

 

[Franco]

Bee hive, pollen cells.

[kyushukairu]

I‘m not sure what the design is supposed to represent, but it is Matsushiro (松代) school work. 
Here’s a Matsushiro aikuchi koshirae from Aoi Art:  

[kissakai]

Hi Kyle

Could you send the link, I looked on their website but couldn't find it

 

[kyushukairu]

Here you are, Grev: https://sword-auction.com/en/product/3787/as20163-短刀無銘海部/

If you search for ‘Matsushiro koshirae’ (松代拵) online, you’ll find a lot of matches, but there isn’t a lot of information.
A Japanese sword polisher on Facebook claims that many domains developed their own style of koshirae in the Edo period, and that Matsushiro koshirae, which is distinctively made from brass (shinchu 真鍮) originated in Shinano (modern day Nagano Prefecture). 
https://www.facebook.com/1070362196376441/posts/1098499036896090/?paipv=0&eav=AfaEsg62gEc6LdVFE9_Qt2jqJXZXo5X5SxTZ9YiHLSFuWOt57SCjdIkLwn3WfNBjn_Y&_rdr

[kissakai]

Thanks Kyle. It's a nice reference for my tsuba

 

[kissakai]

PS

Re link:

Fuchikashira, Kojiri is nice awaho design are engraved by brass.

I tried to translate 'awaho' but could only find a place name. Could anyone enlighten me?

 

[ROKUJURO]

Grev,

it is a famous Kikko-Mon (honeycomb) pattern, often used by NOBUIE. In your case, perhaps SENDAI?

[kissakai]

Thanks for completing the picture

 

[kyushukairu]

Grev, I think the kanji for the word you are looking for is 阿波 and should be read as ‘Awa’, though google translate may incorrectly render it as ‘Awaho’. Listings for these koshirae and fittings seem to include Matsushiro (松代), Awa (阿波), and Sendai (仙台) in the title. For example: https://aucfree.com/items/l470576566 However, Matsushiro (松代), Awa (阿波), and Sendai (仙台) are all distinct domains, and are spatially fairly distant: Awa is in Shikoku, which is a separate island in the west of Japan, Matsushiro is in central Honshu (the main island), and Sendai is in Northern Japan. So there may be some uncertainty or disagreement over where these fittings originated (Matsushiro, Awa, or Sendai). 

[SteveM]

Awaho is probably 粟穂 (millet, millet grain). 

Awaho-zu looks like this

 

 

[FlorianB]

Something else to think about - I've seen some kind of soft-coral from southern Japan.

 

I'm not a coral expert, but a research on this topic might be helpful.

Best, Florian