Spartancrest

David, I have to agree, I should have pointed out not to boil if there is overlay such as nunome. Inlays as opposed to overlays are not likely to be affected but don't touch the inlays/overlays with any scrapers. Omar, good idea about the tooth picks, they would be ideal for fine sukashi holes as well. Piers, I will give that formula a try on the next rusty iron guard I get - sounds too easy.

I wish I had a dollar for every dodgy one of these that turns up. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/184026335453 at ridiculous prices. US $537.90 [In fact I would have enough to buy one ten times over]

Namban or Hizen tsuba.

https://www.jauce.com/auction/t1021555062 This one has a new definition of the word 'Ubu'! $434.41 USD.

Jean, aren't the clipped ends of the curls odd on that one you posted? I like the silver inlay though.

Well my dog didn't test these ones - https://www.jauce.com/auction/q1021510626 - But someone sure did! Or were they hit by a truck! What is the going rate for scrap tosogu?

Piers, you may have found the original piece! The copies don't hold a candle to that one. Are they shakudo eyes? The one in the missing book has 'carvings' where your example does not. The ears are not nearly as well done as on your example.

I have mentioned these reproductions before but this one is gouging beyond belief. https://www.jauce.com/auction/q1021280421 I have no idea how they are made but they are mass produced and I mean on mass. The most obvious giveaway is the simulated sekigane and the tagane-ato marks on the ura side - always identical. Whether some patient production line painter colours in the images or some computer printer sprays the images on I don't know. Other examples don't even bother with the colour at all. I wish it were possible to put up "Not Wanted" posters on these they really annoy me. This sellers spiel is really ironic "Why don't you replace the Iaito tsuba with the Edo period tsuba?" That sounds good advice, but why replace a copy with a more expensive copy? $394.30 USD. There is a book out there somewhere that has an image of the same guard I would love to find the book. If you look carefully on the bottom image there is the outline of another common copied guard, four long eared rabbits running through the waves - perhaps it is a book of common fakes? https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/Japanese-tsuba-oni-and-priest-large-katana

Pippo: Never, never use steel wool - no matter how fine it will destroy any and all patina. The best thing to use is either Ivory, bone or antler to rub the active rust off, it won't damage the iron surface but readily removes the softer rust. You can buy bone or ivory awls on-line but they are expensive, if you can find a ruined old piano key they can be used if they are ivory. I make my own bone picks from cow long leg bones, boil them for a few minutes and dry them, then cut into pencil size pieces. I use a bench grinder to smooth and shape. Simply boiling the iron guard in clean water can also remove a lot of accumulated dirt and softens the rust - just make sure you dry the guard carefully afterward. You might use a soft brush or even a tooth brush to remove the dust generated when you use the bone tools, just nothing harder than soft bristles.

I realize this is an old thread but it seemed the best place to post this. Lapidary tsuba are a niche group and those other jade [nephrite] guards all seem to have a Chinese basis, even the one from the Metropolitan Museum collection. However one described as 'Agate' has turned up on auction with a definite Japanese style. https://www.jauce.com/auction/w1021112215 Though agate is usually banded it can occur as a solid colour, which this would appear to be. There is some discoloration in the nakago-ana so it would seem to have been mounted, but due to the stones nature it would be extremely difficult to judge when it was made. It is possible that it is an Edo period piece and also possible that it was made much more recently. I would note that so far all the stone tsuba are on the small 'tanto' scale and would be most suitable as a hand stop and not intended to ward off a blow from an opponent. Another Nephrite 'tsuba' is listed on ebay with once again Chinese origins. The tang hole would seem very small and I have doubts it was ever intended as a guard for a knife or sword. https://www.ebay.com/itm/174580133350

Glen they are beautiful crab designs - but they are not 'sukashi' style. I personally like the Boston designed one with the 'saya-dome-ana' in the hitsu, it doesn't require drilling holes in the plate itself - that is clever.

Roger, sorry I should have got back to you. Like Glen said whatever floats your boat. Like it or not there are two types of collector - the Curator or the Dealer [some are both]. We believe we own our purchases but really we are renting them from history - just like real estate renters there are good and bad - I can't see that a clean up after the last renter has trashed the place is a bad idea, but like the real estate renter you shouldn't go knocking holes in the walls or take out a window to make 'improvements' so to speak. Buy what appeals to you and keep them safe, you might get more out of them than just getting your bond back! Glen: Isn't it weird that people buy this modern crap when they could be part of history? Instead, opting to be contributors to the landfill generation.

No Ford, my bad photo. You are very correct about what you can find under the corrosion, it was a total surprise to me - I have recently had both eye cataracts replaced and can see things now that used to be a blur, but the original image wouldn't have made much difference. What struck me with this guard is the tiny details, so tiny in fact I can't help wondering why they bothered? I mean why go to the trouble of carving details you would be at a stretch to see in daylight with a magnifying glass? It is such a shame that the previous owner/s didn't look after it. [ not that I could have afforded it if it was pristine ]

Sorry Ford but there are no seki-gane at all on this guard, there is a niku like outline around the entire nakago-ana just as in the Christie's piece. From the rather deep tagane-ato punch marks that have definitely moved some metal into the hole, I can't see even an annealed cast iron taking the hit without cracking the whole thing. There is also a lot of undercutting and though it does not show well in the image [old digital camera] there are almost microscopic scales carved into the two dragon bodies and the masks(?) or demon faces have kebori eyebrows and some have inlaid eyes [corrosion has removed about half] I apologize for the image quality I may have to do a high resolution scan. I am not worried particularly, the thing only cost $60 because of the condition it was in and it will never be going off for Shinsa assessment. [ I read somewhere recently that they don't like doing assessments on Namban anyway.]

Björn I just came upon this old Christies auction from 2017. Not a lot of information on it sorry. You might notice the surface texture is very similar to one of yours [sorry the image was as good as I could get] https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/art-Japan-online/collection-twenty-four-tsuba-48/40285

Thanks Glen. I was just about to add this image and information from a Christies Auction back in 2015 - There is a statement about the nakago-ana not 'nagagohitsu' as they call it, being a hidden Christian cross. I have seen these on many namban including the one I just received, but I think that it being a hidden cross is a stretch too far - way too far!!

It has been a while in getting to me [understatement] but the rusty namban and 'friends' arrived today - I couldn't stand the condition it was in so I spent several hours cleaning boiling and scrubbing the rust and filth off. Some obvious corrosion loss and a few of the undercut tendrils were long gone but I am happier with its appearance so far - it still needs a lot of work.

Yes Jean I got what you were saying - it still gives me a kick every time an ad says 'found in an old trunk' in Japanese - but google translates it as 'found in an old elephant'

Mauro, I wish I had found your link from 2014 it would have saved me gathering all my images, thanks for linking that in.

Second can also be called Mino-Goto style. [Mino Goto means in the style of Goto]. A lot were basically shiremono [off the shelf] mass produced in various levels of quality. They appear in various patterns - yours is the treasure ship, there are half a dozen at least standard patterns. They often share 'ready made' tagane-ato [punch marks around the nakago-ana] you might notice that no metal is actually moved into the hole and they are usually intended to suggest the tsuba has been mounted, which is not always the case.

Jean it is an obvious Google translate error, it should read "invisible inlay" not transparent!

Hi Dave, I think that is exactly why Aus/post allow it, it makes them money [though with this $16 'special' not much money = $3 profit]

I just ordered some Christmas stamps tonight, they might get a few heads shaking. Here in OZ we can have our own stamp designs made for everyday postage or for special events like a wedding etc. This year Australia Post has allowed even Christmas postage stamps to be made by the general public. https://auspost.com.au/shop/product/mystamps-mystamps-m and from what I see there is no restriction on overseas orders either [I have no idea if you can use the stamps if sent from overseas however?] So some members might like to have their favourite Tosogu item 'immortalized' as a sheet of postage stamps. Last year I had a different design made see this link:

Bjorn this one was passed in at auction within minutes of the one you posted above. https://www.jauce.com/auction/b533425068 it looks a lot more worn and much of the inlay is missing - a popular pattern indeed. Not in the same league as your piece though.

The design looks to be popular in more than one style. I found this Heianjo up for auction https://www.jauce.com/auction/e1011548147 The embellishments are totally different but the design is very close. Björn, did you get your first piece through Bonhams auctions? https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/26087/lot/1145/?category=list Bonhams image. Omote side only.