JPGH

@Jean Collin & Piers D, I think you both are correct. Appears to be some form of antique weight, possibly Chinese or Tibetan? The base reminds me of an antique Chinese coin with the top part of the weight near the handle having what appears to be an engraved moon(?) and stars(?)... After MANY hours of searching, I'm afraid I still have not been able to locate a comp

Jean Collin, Thank you so much for your reply and thoughts. I'll look into your suggestion of possibly an object for a staff and see what I can find. I thought possibly Japanese as my object's "handle" shape reminds me of the ends (my apologies for not knowing exactly what they're called) on Daikoku's Mallet as seen in the image below...

Hi all, Not sure if I'm posting this on the correct board, but was hoping for a little help in ID'ing this tiny Japanese(?) bronze-lead(?)-filled object. It appears to be a Fundo (weight) for a Kusarigama, but I'm probably wrong? The piece appears too "decorative" for such an object. Any thoughts on what this piece may be and/or what it was used for/as? Size approx: 2 x 1-3/4 inches and very HEAVY (12 oz) for its size. Can you all please help? Thank you and kind regards, JoJo

Awesome! Thank you ALL so much for your time and help, most appreciated! Jo

Hello everyone, Can someone please help me identify the age and possible maker of this, Tsuba? If it's junk, no big deal........I purchased it from a seller who thought it was "antique door fixture parts" so I don't have much into it. Thank you all in advance for your time and thoughts. Regards, Jo

You ALL are awesome, thank you so much! Regards, Jo

Thank you so much for your help, most appreciated! Below are the other inscriptions found......maker(?) Regards, Jo

Hello everyone, This piece was basically pulled from a pile off trash and is in pretty rough shape. Can some please help identify age and inscriptions? Length approx: 26 inches. Thank you all in advance for your time and help. Kind regards, Jo

I just wanted to add a couple of close-up images for you alls viewing I thought to be interesting. The texture/stippling on each side of the barrel as well as the "maker's mark" is all hand-applied/punched.

Thank you all some much for your help, I really appreciate it. BaZZa, infrared photography is probably going to be the way to go on my box lid. I'll look into this process and see what I can find. Thanks again everyone for your help.

I assume this is the image you're requesting?

Thanks everyone for your time, thoughts and replies, most appreciated! @Jan who said: "So my humble conclusion is that this can’t be a weapon and I doubt very much that it’s a Japanese powder tester." I agree...I don't believe this piece to be a Japanese powder tester, but humbly disagree it can't be a weapon, when it so obviously is. As to the who, when and where,.....is yet to be determined. @Piers who said: "The patina on yours suggests younger rather than older, so I would stick by my sense of Meiji at the earliest, although the one you own seems to differ in several respects from the one in the catalog, so it could in fact be even later." I disagree a bit. My thoughts is this little guy is at least 19th C., if not older. Although my piece might differ just slightly from the catalog's version, I believe they're one-and-the-same. What you have to remember is the catalog's version is only the artist's rendering (drawing/etching/woodblock print) of the item and will differ a bit when comparing the actual weapon.................................just as all the weapons on that catalog's page differ a bit when comparing. @Malcolm who said: "Can you please show a close up down the bore, I am curious as to the mottled effect shown in the wider shots. As to the mark behind the touch hole that Piers mentions, it does not look like a normal Kamon, perhaps an interpretation of Maru Ni Yotsume?" I will get that image for you as soon as day brakes here and there's better lighting. The mark behind the touch hole appears to be a Solar Cross/Sun Cross/Wheel Cross ??? very similar to this image here: @Ian, quite interesting your theory of this piece might of once had a wooden stock. The barrel is only textured/stippled on the sides where the floral decoration has been carved, not on the entire top half of the barrel. Hopefully, more answers will soon come. To be continued.................

Thanks so much for trying to help, Steve, most appreciated! I know the inscription is very hard to decipher due to the lid's darken tone, but could it be possible the name 'Shuzan' is there? Or something possibly matching whatever is written on these two box lids below?

Piers, Jan, Ian, Ron, etc. Your thoughts on the above?

After some consideration, I decided to post images. As you can see, the piece is quite different in refinement compared to the 20th C. brass reproduction that as been selling on the market for years as the original. The touch-hole is very small compared to Piers & Jan's powder testers, but mirrors this "stippling" effect at sides that's found on Piers's 'miniature cannon' with wooden base seen in my last post above. It's 3-1/2 inches in size, weighs nearly 1/2 lbs. and is marked near the base ring with an unidentified hand-incised maker's(?) mark. Your thoughts, if any?