Spartancrest

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:花菱_Hanabishi.png This is only one of many designs used as a Kamon - Family crest. Not at all sure this is the correct one used on your tsuba. Pity about the damage to the very fine elements in the Mon design, one almost completely gone. It is said that there are 20,000 to 30,000 types of Japanese family crests!

I think the image of Florian's is Myoga the flower buds are zig-zag up the stalk not side by side like the image on the link.

https://www.metmuseu...lection/search/26589

ebay doesn't do too badly either! https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/175486513381 Justin good idea of yours when starting on something new to ask , there are a lot of people who can help on this forum. [We have had years of making mistakes - so you don't need to ] The Etsy/ebay fakes are likely based on examples like these: https://www.metmuseu...lection/search/25709 https://art.thewalte...uardian-at-a-temple/ You can get the fake straight from Japan - https://www.jauce.com/auction/q1132475823 Cheaper than ebay or Etsy - but still not worth the money!

FAKE MODERN - CAST = All the things you don't want to hear, sorry. https://www.ebay.com/itm/156367630966 https://www.etsy.com...amurai?gpla=1&gao=1&

Oh Piers! Which side of the Atlantic do you follow? Dictionary: Definitions from Oxford Languages fanny /ˈfani/ noun 1. vulgar slang•British a woman's genitals. 2. informal•North American a person's buttocks. 3. verb informal•British mess around and waste time. "they were fannying about in the street"

The Edward Wrangham Collection of Japanese Art Part I Bonhams auction 9 November 2010 https://www.bonhams....school-19th-century/ Sold for £38,400 inc. premium https://www.bonhams....-kozan-19th-century/ Sold for £1,680 inc. premium

Uchiwa and https://www.jauce.com/auction/o1128816608 https://www.jauce.com/auction/m1099761508 https://www.jauce.com/auction/t1150611419 https://www.jauce.com/auction/h1136010459

Mine are broken fans - and the nunome has all disappeared!

I will double up the crabs

One just like it sold a week ago - small world! Is anything truly unique? https://www.jauce.com/auction/s1149942830

They should have named that team the "Pensioner brigade". Great actors in a not so great movie. [ the youngsters would never have seen it]

I am going to start charging finders fees! The one I have on record could be the one you now have? https://www.easylive...t-carpets-ru-lot-28/ Auction Date: 12th Nov 2022 No dimensions.

Gendai? see Post August 17, 2022

There is a similar Wangata in the Ashmolean museum shallower cup and two piercings later filled with silver. Two suhama ("sand-banks", three-lobed devices forming the badge of the Sanada) EAX.10158 http://jameelcentre....ection/7/10237/10344 I like the vermillion red lacquer on the ura. [PS good luck finding the ura image on-line. Why do museums like to hide things?]

I like the London sale 2014 better than the ebay one.

No way do I know even 10% Hizen for sure. Well 90% Check the outline of the seppa-dai - pretty close style. At first sight that Kappa and Oni has a lot of Jakushi influence to it. The way the gold nunome looks like a rubbed wash. but Jakushi don't have such an extensive range of colour inlay and the seppa-dai are not "highlighted" or raised as far as I know? Perhaps the image Jake has is a little harder to make out the details.

Ebay sale? https://www.ebay.com/itm/156363421734 I have seen the twisted wire inlay "vines" before on a few tsuba but I can't track down those images at the moment - not much help with the signature. Nobumitsu (written: 信光) is a masculine Japanese given name. The kanji look pretty close to me. PS. Mercari has it at half the price of ebay https://jp.mercari.com/item/m48220885862 And please Cornelius saw it first!

1st generation 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 2nd generation 2, 4, 9, 10

Do Chickens count as "Wild things"? I like this little guard because the hen manages to disappear on the ura side.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/387325793378

Well I think it is an obvious warning - Keep your pine bark out of the stormwater drains!

Thanks Piers that search led me to find this. Supper cool guard! Many crosses there, but not a Christian in sight!

Not an uncommon type of design. I think you could get a nice "Christian tanto guard" out of this 2,000 yen buy! [I hope not though!]

Australia [the continent where everything would like to kill you! ] has some large centipedes as well - they are very friendly and will come right up to you [so run!] https://australian.m...des/giant-centipede/ Australasian Giant Centipede Ethmostigmus rubripes