Spartancrest

M.A. Anisimova (St. Petersburg) Collection of Japanese tsuba in the collection of the VIMAIViVS Translation of the Russian - Fig. 2. Tsuba with the image of samurai. Soten school. 19th century. VIMAIVIVS DIOF 0131/6

https://www.skinnerinc.com/auctions/3046T/lots/1058 Those these are all of the same general pattern, they are not identical and all show small variations. Like many of this type the tagane-ato punch marks around the nakago-ana were probably added in the workshop when manufactured, to give the impression that they had been mounted but are usually just cosmetic - some would have later been mounted but not many. https://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/g1197874839 https://www.jauce.com/auction/g1197874839 Auction still running. Another type that depicts the same scene are usually described as Hamano - the Hamano ones are identical and must have been mass produced but are often not finished to the same standards. I would much rather the hand finished Soten signed type! These can be expenive rubbish.

Spider web in the rain habaki! Where is the spider?

Sheikh Saoud bin Mohammed bin Ali Al-Thani, who was Qatar's former culture minister and a major art collector, but he died in 2014, not 2012. He was known for building Qatar's impressive art collections and was credited with the development of institutions like the Museum of Islamic Art. l think this must be the guy alright! Two from his collection up for auction soon - https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/masayuki-a-fine-hamano-school-sentoku-tsuba-depic-81-c-c958d4c1f8 And a "hundred monkeys" https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/mitsuhiro-a-hizen-school-sentoku-and-gold-'100-mo-62-c-7daad21d34

I have drawn a blank on the other guards - the rabbit is very distinctive and I am sure I have never seen it before. The Yatsuhashi design is more common but the examples I found have one squared hitsu: https://www.giuseppepiva.com/it/opere/tsuba-kyo-sukashi-con-motivo-yatsuhashi/ https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/22685-iron-tsuba-of-lord-viewing-fuji/ "from a Princely Collection." Is a little vague as a reference to do a search.

Neil, can you post the image of the other 3 sukashi? I have a lot of old auction images and I might be able to find their provenance. Google images can sometimes be great to track things down but only if someone has actually scanned the images and they are on-line. Otherwise - thank god for old books!

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

Slight resemblance to Trump? It might be the hair style.

Quite the band - the fittings all have different musical instruments

Back in black! https://www.jauce.com/auction/m1204309579