Spartancrest

Kanenori was a busy little bee!

Usually it is the most decorated side faces the tsuka and thus is on display the most. Your guard has hitsu that are only slightly different in shape so I don't think it is a big issue - there are a lot of guards with identically shaped hitsu either side and I often wonder how you can tell which way to mount them especially if the guard is fairly plain? I guess if you can find any tagane-ato punch marks around the nakago-ana that may help a lot.

Ever rule has an example where someone has broken it. https://www.catawiki.com/en/l/98651298-masterwork-tsuba-signed-with-nbthk-hozon-certificate-copper-gold-silver-iron-Japan-edo-period-1600-1868

Second row left - sukashi. Myoga ginger plant 茗荷 鍔 slightly more elaborate designs.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/405453746331 one with a "fukurin" rim cover https://japantik.com/products/Japanese-tsuba-sword-guard-stunning-masterpiece-signed-edo-original-from-Japan-0610e20-copy-1

Second row far right - Shoki on the bridge - sorry it is a common casting. Bottom row - right, Chidori over waves in katakiribori. The top row look like late revival pieces mostly based on Tosho/Katchusi style models but on a smaller size scale. Middle row centre is punched flower or star pattern - I have seen a few and I know a few members have similar ones, still good and original.

http://nihonto.us/CHOSHU TOMOKIYO TSUBA.htm Signature looks differnt to me.

https://blog.goo.ne.jp/tsuba_001/e/539b5021857b21549e591e169f6e6d57 I will have a look in some museum collections and see when they were donated to the museum - it won't tell me when they were made but give me a starting point to work back from.

That depends on if you believe the sellers information, I think personally they are meiji period but I think some of these have been produced for an extended period, so age would be a guess. Not helped by Chinese copies of Japanese copies! The first https://www.bonhams.com/auction/20190/lot/7/a-bakumatsu-shakudo-tsuba-by-seishu-meiji-period/ is described as Bakumatsu [turn of the 20th century] https://www.bonhams.com/auction/21008/lot/3459/a-shakudo-tsuba-with-mixed-metal-accents-meiji-period/ Meiji [I think it is more modern, junk!] https://www.catawiki.com/en/c/1261-Japanese-art?epik=dj0yJnU9aFpPRXptbnNkUmtSYmlLTUU4ZWxzYkRZV2tSczhfc2gmcD0wJm49MVV5VXYySHJUa18zRU5sdFdKTUt0ZyZ0PUFBQUFBR2tLOVpB The Hamano signed one can be seen: https://www.bonhams.com/auction/18980/lot/15/a-bakumatsu-shakudo-tsuba-late-19thearly-20th-century/ Described as Bakumatsu [turn of the 20th century] However a papered piece which is less convincing and still a copy in my opinion can be found here: https://world-seiyudo.com/product/tu-050320/ described as Edo period

Odd spots of depatination, looks like an alloy. Never mounted. Probably made as something for export. As Rivkin says there are areas where the carving is poor, the outline of the seppa-dai on the top right ura and the scratch marks around the top bird - why so much time spent on the rest but no clean up? Probably like these much more common examples: Colourful does not seem to be a problem - being mass produced is!

What is it with these two guys going over the bridge? https://www.jauce.com/auction/p1205198985

I think it is Jakushi - mainly from the scene but Jakushi also have nunome or very fine gold "wash" which doesn't seem evident.

You might be on the right track - also possibly Bira Kanzashi? - I guess they didn't have phone danglers

I found something from an old European book on Japanese design - unfortunately no information about what it actually is! An image found on a now non working site.

Piers, do you have the dimensions of that kiku tsuba? It looks very similar to one in the Metropolitan Art Museum - especially the hitsu. One of mine - only one hitsu