Information on Tsuba with "cross".

[Hostin]

Firstly, greetings to all members of this forum. 

 

I have bought this tsuba weeks ago and need  some help with its possible age and type of nihonto it belonged to.

 

The vendor told me this is pre 19th century tsuba but no much can be said about it more than it belonged to a collector in Japan who  passed on  years ago.

 

The pictures are attached. There is an interesting feature in it.  From other posts here I understand that trying to connect it to a Christian samurai is pointless as all context or sources depicting its origin are missing. But happy with it anyway. 

 

Many thanks for any help in advance

 

G. Hostin

 

[Bugyotsuji]

Hi G,

Thanks for posting your interesting tsuba. Can you tell if the cross is an inlay of different metal? Shinchu brass possibly? Has someone tried to clean it with a rough abrasive?

Some grassy/hilly depiction bottom left?

Can you show us a photo of the front too?

What are the sizes?

On the face of it, a normal rather plain and functional forged iron tsuba with slots either side for kogai and kozuka.

[Hostin]

17 hours ago, Bugyotsuji said:

Hi G,

Thanks for posting your interesting tsuba. Can you tell if the cross is an inlay of different metal? Shinchu brass possibly? Has someone tried to clean it with a rough abrasive?

Some grassy/hilly depiction bottom left?

Can you show us a photo of the front too?

What are the sizes?

On the face of it, a normal rather plain and functional forged iron tsuba with slots either side for kogai and kozuka.

 

Good day Bugyutsuji.

 

Yes, it has bronze inlays (cross, and what looks like a hill or a wave pattern, this one also on the other side).

 

I have checked carefully the "cross" and the length is a bit larger for the vertical part (There is rust/oxidation covering it ), so to uncover or make this symbol clearer someone has roughly cleaned it (not professionally).

 

Pictures where you can get a closer view. Dimensions (length, width, nakago): 6.8 x 5.8 x 2.5 cm.

 

Best wishes

 

Gerald