MauroP

Hi Greg, actually most of tsuba you have posted here are not true mu-hitsu-ana but are usually referred as kata-hitsu-ana-shitate (i.e. with a single space for implement cut-out from the sukashi design).

It looks like that the subject of the tsuba is a collection of ornamental roof tile, so the kanji could be searched among the decorations of a temple roof.

鐔 無銘 奈良 - tsuba mumei Nara 寿老人図 素銅槌目地 長丸形 薄肉彫 毛彫 片切彫 - Jurōjin zu suaka-tsuchime-ji nagamaru-gata usunikubori kebori katakiribori 金・赤銅象嵌色絵 耳・ 打返し - kin, shikudō zōgan iroe mimi, uchikaeshi

Surface finish with vertical file marks is usually referred as shino-yasuri (篠鑢), tate-yasuri (竪鑢) or shigure-yasuri (時雨鑢). Here two papered examples: ... and two from my collection: Never found sendai-yasuri.

Some tanto size tsuba from my collection.

The themes suzumushi, akikusa, Musashino and nozarashi sometimes overlap in some instances. Anyway each theme has its own origin in Japanese literature. According to "Tsuba - Kodōgu Gadai Jiten" (vol. 1, p. 278) the suzumushi-zu refers to "‎The Pillow Book" (Makura no Sōshi - 枕草子) by Sei Shōnagon, a collection of writings from Heian period. Here below the relevant entry from "Tsuba - Kodōgu Gadai Jiten" :

Hi Stephen, actually it's a toad. The theme is referred as Jiraiya (自来也 or 児雷也). It'a about the hero of the the folktale reported in Jiraiya Gōketsu Monogatari, who was able to morph into a gigantic toad. See Numata Kenji, Tsuba - Kodōgu Gadai Jiten, vol. 1 p. 120.

More like chōji (cloves), which is coherent with plants.

Of course the Daruma tsuba is a casted piece, as most if not all bronze tsuba, and it's quite modern in age. Does it mean a "fake" tsuba?

mu-hitsu-ana tsuba in my collection: 1 kawari-mokkō-gata signed sandai-me Myōchin saku 2 Daruma zu tsuba signed Enjuken Hirotoshi sei, possibly Meji/Shōwa jidai 3 dragon in katakiribori, signed Jakushi (?) 4 karakusa-mon sukashi tsuba, with NBTHK attribution to Myōchin 5 kasumi zu (fog), Heianjō-zōgan 6 karakusa zu, Heianjō-zōgan

Not very much informative that certificate... At least no controversial statement there. 😁

I can read just Fujiwara Masanori. Maybe the same as http://new.uniquejapan.com/yamato-daijo-fujiwara-masanori-katana-yamashiro-sanjo-school-1596-1624/?

well, I suppose that no inlay could sometimes be better than some sparse fragment

Classic ranma-sukashi (欄間透) of Yoshirō school. Unfortunately all hira-zōgan lost. The pattern is usually referred as mogusa (藻草 - water plants).

江府住 井戸利壽 - Kōfu jū Ito Toshinaga 利寿 and 利壽 are variant ways for Toshinaga

Hi Luca, really a wonderful piece! I'm sorry I'm unable to offer help on subjects depicted. I wish just to point out a tsuba of similar kind attributed to Ōnin by an old NBTHK paper.

Hi Robert, here below a papered tsuba signed Kōfu jū Masayuki The design is called shippō-mon (七宝文), and was a popular textile decoration pattern.

I think the theme could be Kokei sanshō - 虎渓三笑 The three men in this case would be Huiyuan, Tao Yuanming and Lu Xiujing.

If you see the hook ... don't bite (大野)

Hi, really a nice tsuba, but even in low resolution pics the nanako-ji don't looks top quality, so maybe a little overpriced, in my opinion.

Sorry Brian, something went wrong with an update. Here a new link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/frt7dkpoj6b5x8y/FHJ.pdf?dl=0

Just my perception, but I'm less positive about the "den" prefix. To me the true meaning is something like: "we do not really know, but the item has something resembling...". As far as I see it is a big manifestation of intellectual honesty (I do prefer an admission of uncertainty rather than a questionable affirmative attribution). Here below some examples: den tōshō: Amida-yasuri is not a feature typical for plain tōshō style den Kanayama: here simply I can't understand why Kanayama school rather than whatever else den Kanayama: nikubori carving surely not typical of Kanayama style den Kunitomo-ha: just to remark the different meaning of "den" and "ha" (school)

Thank you Brian, of course I'll be honored if you could host the pdf in the articles section. Here below a link to a single file version. I hope to further expand the compilation as far as I'm collecting new relevant images. Contributions and corrections are welcomed. https://www.dropbox.com/s/0zgw014ne3fx5jp/FHJ.pdf?dl=0

Auguri Grev! I think the issue of (good quality) gimei tsuba could be more complex than we (Westerners) can appreciate. Possibly not an issue about to deceive on mere value of the object, and more on the attribution of value in a complex system of exchanging gift in Edo period. So a gimei is part of a cultural context that should be a pity to remove just to gain a better evaluation in a shinsa. Just an opinion...

As above, part 2 FHJ part 2.pdf