Two tigers one leopard - in ancient times the Japanese believed that leopards were female tigers. I don't imagine any mating between the two was very successful!
https://www.smithson...anese-art-180941036/
"A few tigers had visited Japan before its cultural isolation ended in the late nineteenth century, full-grown cats and mewling kittens given as gifts to warlords and shoguns. But most artists seem to have depicted tigers using imported pelts as reference. Many artists also liked to depict leopards in the mistaken belief they were female tigers, a family of spots and stripes."
Tiger and Leopard menuki
https://www.google.com/search?q=Shō&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:92c9d87e,vid:yUpr1F1dZt0,st:0
Very unusual instrument, it has a sound very like a cross between a harmonica and an accordion - at least in this YouTube clip.
I have seen this design described as bundles of Noshi but an entry in the Ashmolean museum would seem to fit much better.
Catalogue number. EA1956.2138 Oval tsuba with Shō (pan-pipes).
I did notice in https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/files/file/106-kinai-tsuba/ by Malcom Cox has an example by Kinai.
https://www.metmuseu...ection/search/503052
The sectional "nodal rings" found on bamboo and some reeds show up clearly on the bundles. Also there is a 'mouth piece' at the base of the nakago-ana - seen clearly in the top image highlighted in gold left and right.
So which description fits the best?
Very late post but this should go in this thread. [Before it goes into the recycle bin!]
https://www.jauce.com/auction/g1129383035 the Ura view is just a laugh!! No points for guessing this lot are all cast. Nice attempt with the sukashi cut-out nakago-ana [NOT!]
Just a note on the Varshavsky image from Tuesday - have people noted the cut-out on the nakago-ana seems to have been filled? [Or is this only a surface treatment? - difficult to see and no side view into the nakago-ana]
https://www.aoijapan...he-48th-juyo-tosogu/
I agree number one is cast - the missing 'inlay' was probably glued on - see similar 'faceless' examples in the image. [yours is a much less common design]
Number four may be hiding something good under that dirt, needs a good clean. [I have seen much worse in museum collections]
https://varshavskyco...collection/tsu-0315/
https://bushidojapan...Kiri_leaf_Motif.html
https://iidakoendo.com/9315/
This last one has the same cut out in the nakago-ana and is described as by Nishigaki Kanshiro
Non magnetic?
The repeated pattern, mirror reverse on each side would suggest Sanmai but could be Ko-Kinkō.
this side view of the hitsu looks like thin foil such as you find on sanmai but I can't see the typical three layers.
Has the surface got any peeling? There look like area's where there is wear through the foil?
If it is sanmai the outside rim is well joined, I can't see any seams. Interesting old piece - no modern fake for sure.