MauroP

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

Here below an updated list of plants related to Japanese sword mountings. Some additions, some substitutions, few cancellations of species inconsistent with Edo/pre-Edo Japan. The images of plants are taken mainly from Wikipedia, tsuba and kodogu from my own pieces and from museums offering open-source images. Enjoy and don't take too seriously the pompous title of "Flora Hoplontologica Japonica". FHJ part 1.pdf

Hi Omar, probably Aizu-Shōami, mid-late Edo period, and probably water buffalos rather then cows. About sending your tsuba to shinsa, consider that it's unlikely that the result will tell you explicitely an age attribution.

Hi Johnny, not sure the "number of rows" theory could be shared by Japanese scholars. Anyway this one from "Tanoshi Shinchū Zōgan Tsuba: 100 Tsuba" by Ōtani Sadao has 6 rows of ten-zōgan...

Here below four tsuba I presume from Muromachi age: Ōnin, ko-kinkō, kagamishi (maybe) and Kamakura (just my guess). Looking forward your confirmation and an estimation of their age.

Hi, from "Handbook of Sword Fittings related Terms" by Markus Sesko:

I think the correct term should be kōsuki-bori (甲鋤彫), and refers to the shell-shaped (convex) tagane used to get the smooth carved grooves.

Hi Pietro, the shape of seppa-dai and hitsu-ana are quite different in your tsuba compared to the other one. Just my uneducated opinion.

Hi Robert, the rim looks like a tomogane-fukurin, i.e. a separate piece made with the same metal, so it could be a later add-on or substitution.

I'd suggest Kyō-kenjō (京献上)

Hi Grev, I think the sukashi actually reproduces a kind of headgear used for dance costumes, and not a flower, See: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%B3%A5%E5%85%9C Bye, Mauro

The "Picture Encyclopedia of Tsuba and Small Metal Fitting" is a wonderful introduction to Chinese-Japanese iconographic culture. I compiled an index with care in correct Romaji transcription. Although I tried my best looking at furigana, I'm far from sure about hyphenation or apostrophe placing (and my English may also have problems). Any suggestion to correct or improve the index will be gratefully aknowledged. https://www.dropbox.com/s/7cgrf6pfluf15xw/Tsuba%20-%20Kodogu%20Gadai%20Jiten.pdf?dl=0

廣東 = Kanton, so a kind of nanban tsuba, which is coherent with the description of paired dragons.

I've checked my records of NBTHK papered tsuba finding: no. 1 kōdai Mino no. 1 kōdai Umetada no. 1 kōdai Yasuchika no. 2 kōdai Hōan no. 4 kōdai Yagyū no. 5 kōdai Jingo no. 6 kōdai Akasaka no. 18 kōdai Higo. So it's probably true that shinsa panel deserve a kōdai specification more frequently to Higo pieces, but surely not exclusively.

My small library, and here below its catalogue. https://www.dropbox.com/s/1o3db7r4le9hytq/Japan%20%26%20nihonto-related%20library.pdf?dl=0

Can't decide between Kyō-sukashi and Akasaka