Spartancrest

Some other fat birds - at least the beak does not have to be imagined. A shy bird, a pretty plumage bird, a raven and a chidori.

I noticed a few birds passing through this month. Two unusual ones a Miochin/Myochin [Nobuie] you have to imagine as a bird and one that must be a casting or how else to explain the raised kanji?

Xander, I think late Edo, two tones of gold nunome-zogan (布目象嵌) for the most part in good condition [nunome is one of the easiest decoration types to damage]- it has a faint seppa shadow so it was likely mounted for some time. The patina looks a bit patchy but that might be the lighting - entry level guard but better than my first and I am sure this is true of a lot of collectors. When you post could you include the size? It looks Wakizashi size (脇差) to me but not sure. [how big are your hands?] You can always ask before the next guard you go for - with the caveat that you may be advertising your find to someone with more money in their pocket, don't include any links to auctions that have not finished, images are safer. [links after the fact are ok.] Good luck in your collecting - no one ever stops at one!

Consigned to the Hizen school - rather than binned? What's not to like? Wangata shape, nunome-zogan, star pattern ategane. It was all the rage at one time in Japan. I am glad you say it is darker in real life - the image is a little overexposed. I think you have two options on the design on the ura - waves or clouds - depends on the dragons. Gold clouds above the dragons heads on the omote.

Xander, perhaps you could you post the Jauce link - no images have come through.

One more from an old thread - this is a 'modern' alteration the guard in question originally a tourist piece that encountered a grinding wheel!

Okan you have sparked some interest in 'altered' guards which is a great thing. I am sure there must be a lot of guards that have been 'shortened' or modified to balance new blades. They would sometimes be difficult to tell depending on how well it was done and the time, patina has probably covered up a lot of alteration evidence. Thanks for sparking this thread.

I think it is more likely Akasaka or even Owari - both schools have similar design elements but still possible for another school to take on the design. Triangle sukashi guards are pretty few and far between so you were lucky to grab that one, delicate and functional at the same time. A few of these about but not the same quality as yours. Yagyu design.

Well we know where it came from. https://www.samuraimuseum.jp/shop/product/antique-tsuba-for-samurai-sword-t-108/ Another couple of triangle sukashi guards.

Sebastien, that is a great match up - saved me hours of searching What a shame the mimi is gone on that other one - looks like they went to a lot of work to remove it but not enough to keep the mon shapes intact. Must be a great clothing catcher now! Okan, Uchikaeshi mimi on that one. Looks Miochin/Myochin ?

This rather bizarre tsuba has just been listed - https://www.jauce.com/auction/b1053959631 - I cannot believe the guard was made in this manner and it must have been altered to this now very flimsy form. 70 mm x 68 mm x 7mm Wt. 55g

To quote Yogi Bear “Looks more like a sycamore to me.”

Long time coming but I found yet another Saké bottle, tanto size guard - https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/562809284676231213/ Three in 41 years Ford? I wonder why they are all small?

Taken with a camera - best I could do.

For me I have found this search for the origin of Okan's tsuba has lead me to an area of study that would seem to have never been explored before. I have to amend my earlier statement of because I have more than I at first thought. I would love other members of the forum to have a close look at their own collections and see if they have other candidates for 'cut down' guards. These are two more of my examples. For anyone interested in the tsuba display stands [which I highly recommend] you might like to give [Steves87] a PM. he can give you information on them as he prints them in a number of colours and styles.

This guard is shaped very close to the original guard posted but it has not been cut down as far as I can tell - the inome outlines are as first made. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/403618712930 73mm in Diameter The other images are possible cut downs but not much direct evidence so a big question mark remains. Phoenix guard - ironic, second life as a sculpture. The 'full' guard from the Copenhagen museum is pretty close but not an exact match.

Sorry for the grainy image it was from a very small picture. I thought it was close to the menuki image.

When it is worth doing it is worth 'over doing'. Like I said plenty of precedent out there.

Found this plain current piece - https://www.jauce.com/auction/b393880727 Just as an example, the red lines would represent the chisel cuts and then you would have a very similar guard [only four lobes in this case but I think you can get the idea.]

Wow I like that one! Do you think the hitsu were added latter? The holes look lined in silver? Very much a Chinese style seppa-dai [sure the Chinese don't call it that - no idea what it is in Chinese.]

Okan, I forgot to ask if there is any 'niku' [raised borders] on your guard? It looks like it in some areas but the images are not definitive. There is a lot of wear. I don't think it is a Mon design. There are a few similarities to these Kamakura-bori guards but I couldn't say yours was from this period or style. [six inome around the seppa-dai] https://varshavskycollection.com/collection/tsu-0345-2018/ and https://tsuba.jyuluck-do.com/KamakuraTsuba.html might be as close as I can find - both Kamakura 'style'. I think the guard would have been much better than it looks now. [Okan & Jesse - Yes I was rescued from a deep pit by Nicolas Cage back in 2004 - although I look like a bald version of John Voight ! - Film fans will work it out. ] [ Glen - OK, Hercule Poirot without the moustache!

Sometimes you have to be very careful there is a fine line between re-shaped and trashed guards. Like this one - https://www.jauce.com/auction/r1051664170 it says Tachi tsuba but in reality it was probably an O-seppa that has been broken and 'evened up'. [and not that well either!] Or this obvious cast sukashi that is just the remains of the seppa-dai This one is to be found in the Toledo Museum of Art from the Edward Drummond Libbey collection - obviously cut down from a very common form. [No colour image available] number 1912.720 it is amazing how the removal of two lines can change the look.

https://wikijp.org/hashtags/seiryuken - sorry no information with this one - I love the colour!

Okan, I think it is termed 'O-suriage' at least that is what a 'shortened blade' is called. They are more common than you may think - they must be because I have three at least myself, including this 'pair' - the central area of both tsuba are identical in size and the smaller one shows clear chisel marks at each separation. Not a true Daisho.

Sorry to disagree with most of the 'analysis' - it appears to be a cut down of a larger guard, likely with rim damage that was removed. There are several examples where this has been done. The cut down was done much further back in time than the 'recent' drill damage. The patchy patina is also pretty common from an over clean in the past.