Spartancrest

Yves, I think that design is called "Smooth Dragon" - no scales on the body only the belly. The Catawiki one I doubt is as old as they advertise it to be, looks Edo to me. Similar layout to a "Rain Dragon" one I have.

Unfinished work - by Walter L. Behrens And a couple of ojime as well from his lecture.

Thomas, I would agree. Besides this was a time of peace and did it really matter if the tsuba was a few grams different in weight if it was never used as a weapon in any case?

In 1910 a book was put together by Herbert George Ponting [you may never have heard of him.] Within that book "In Lotus-Land Japan" was a section on Japanese sword guards, six were illustrated in B&W The last example [6] has just turned up in a group of nine tsuba and kodogu up for auction at Bonhams [They can't count and say eight!] - https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/eight-kodogu-sword-fittings-edo-period-1615-1868--51-c-db94395bab What makes Herbert George Ponting "special" is he was the expedition photographer/cinematographer for Robert Falcon Scott - better known as "Scott of the Antartic". Herbert did not take part in the mission to reach the South Pole, that saw all of the trek party perish. The description of the guard in question is taken from the book [1910 - reprinted 1922] "An exceedingly fine tsuba in rich black shakudo by Tsu Jinpo, illustrates the beautiful legend of Mio-no-matsu-bara. A fisherman finds a robe of feathers hanging on a tree and is about to carry it off, when a beautiful fairy appears and claims it. The fisherman declines to give it up until she dances before him one of the dances known only to the gods. This she does to an accompaniment of celestial music, and then flies away to the moon, her home. These simple touches, so characteristically Japanese — the net, the feather coat, and the fisherman looking upwards at the unseen fairy dancing in the air — are quite sufficient to convey the whole story, for every one knows it by heart. The tsuba has a gilt band round it, the birds are gold, the fisherman's face is silver-bronze, and the feather-coat is of gold and copper." Just some interesting provenance for anyone interested in "published" tsuba.

Yes Katana were carried edge upwards, Tachi were carried suspended from a cord edge down. Wait till you have to work out Tachi tsuba compared to Katana and the big mix of re-cut Tachi into fitting Katana! Guntō (軍刀, military sword) were also carried suspended from a cord in TachI fashion - just to confuse things even further!

Matthew [or is it Matt to your friends?] The "chipping" is the result of a chisel or punch used to tighten the sides of the tsuba to grip the tang of the sword tight so it won't wobble when mounted. The 'chips' are called tagane-ato [sometimes other names]- they can sometimes be a very important element pointing to particular schools and smiths almost like a signature in some cases. Often found with copper inserts at the top and/or bottom of the tang hole [nakago-ana] they are called sekigane. The orientation of the tsuba would usually be with the punch marks toward the handle side and this is the most decorated side of tsuba in most cases, pointing out to the observer, Sukashi don't really have a more decorated side as a rule.

Everybody happy now? Geez you guys are either picky or too lazy to do it yourself. Give the guy a break.

I think we are missing the point that early iron swords were patterned after their bronze predecessors and would have been made in the exact same way - cast - we know now that you don't get good steel that way but they had to start at the beginning and work it out - it did not jump from bronze to spring steel in an instant. You might note on the sword in question the two small holes at the base of the blade and the relatively short tang. Compare it to this example of a bronze weapon with the handle riveted onto the blade. [example on the right] Same technique just "new" material.

https://www.google.com/search?q=conan+the+barbarian+casting+the+sword+scene&sxsrf=ALiCzsbiMfjZUD_cGbTAKRXaigwgZ_hZkA%3A1670362442170&ei=SrWPY9GFCuvC4-EP09WpuAU&ved=0ahUKEwjR0ouA-eX7AhVr4TgGHdNqClcQ4dUDCA8&uact=5&oq=conan+the+barbarian+casting+the+sword+scene&gs_lcp=Cgxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAQAzIFCCEQoAEyBQghEKABMgUIIRCgATIFCCEQoAE6CggAEEcQ1gQQsAM6BwgAELADEEM6DQgAEOQCENYEELADGAE6DAguEMgDELADEEMYAjoPCC4Q1AIQyAMQsAMQQxgCOgQILhBDOgQIABBDOgUIABCABDoFCC4QgAQ6BQgAEIYDOgYIABAWEB46CAghEBYQHhAdOgQIIRAVOgcIIRCgARAKSgQIQRgASgQIRhgBUMYKWPprYLRxaAFwAXgAgAHAA4gBijWSAQgyLTE1LjYuM5gBAKABAcgBEsABAdoBBggBEAEYCdoBBggCEAEYCA&sclient=gws-wiz-serp#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:4d83ecf4,vid:81HUn352hZ4

Piers, watch out this one could be on your hat! [well a helmet but who wears a helmet these days?] https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/155291310840

Where is the BS emoji?

https://www.jauce.com/auction/u1074610877 - it is a new one but very similar to a few already posted, you can check the nakago-ana and tagane marks on the seppa-dai

Hey Jean, did you notice the synchronicity of the replies on the other thread "Picked up a new tsuba, need some advice." These were posted within milliseconds of each other from opposite sides of the planet. The old saying "Great minds think alike and so do yours and mine!"

IMO I would leave it alone, it is a part of the guards history. Do you have any provenance on the tsuba at all? The numbers are very neatly done, it is possible they may have been from a prominent collection or even from a museum sale.

These are European estimates of tsuba from the early 20th century - some of these quotes are taken from late 19th century sources as well. Source: Bulletin of the Detroit Museum of Art, Vol. 2, No. 1 (JANUARY, 1908), pp. 12-16 THE WARRIORS OF THE SUN FLAG. "A rich noble often possessed fifteen hundred swords, some of them costing $1,400 and the daimios vied with each other in owning elegant specimens of the armorer's craft. For all the metal work of Japan, the beautiful designs, and exquisite hammering, credit is due the many wars. The ornamentation of the guard and sword's accessories have been the craze of tourists and collectors for thirty years." A Gift of Japanese Sword Guards Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, Vol. 9, No. 6 (Jun., 1914), pp. 140-142 Author: Bashford Dean Japanese tsuba, or sabre guards, have ever appealed to the lover of Eastern art. They are exquisite in design and workmanship, beautiful in color and contour, and picture in miniature, a wide range of the artistic history of Japan. That they have ever been numerous and this is not always a trial to an earnest collector one can well understand, for in the feudal days of Japan each member of the military class carried his familiar two swords, and for each sword he had a choice of tsuba, rarely less than a dozen and sometimes even hundreds, which could be changed to vary the appearance of his treasured blades from day to day, or month to month. If, then, we estimate that there were two millions of samurai in 1876, when prime minister Sanjo signed the decree forbidding the carrying of swords, we may assume that tens of millions of sword guards came sooner or later into trade. It is certainly a fact that about 1880 the markets of all "curio" loving countries were flooded with sword guards, and that never before or since have such admirable specimens in any number at least, found their way out of Japan. THE SWORD OF JAPAN AND IT'S ORNAMENTS by THE COUNTESS ANNIE DE MONTAIGU Illustrations from notable examples of ancient sword-guards. Source: The Monthly Illustrator, Vol. 4, No. 13 (May, 1895). "There was a time when a man's rank could be determined by the quality of his armature; a person magnificently garbed, with an ordinary weapon by his side, would be adjudged of low degree, while to a poorly dressed person wearing a fine sword, would be extended distinguished homage. A fortune was frequently invested in arms, a rich noble often possessing fifteen hundred swords, some of them costing £I,400, and the daimios and wealthy nobles vied with each other in owning elegant specimens of the armorer's handicraft, many of which were ancient family heirlooms, and magnificent examples of the cunning workmanship of the artist-artisan."

Dan that reminds me of the Southern belle who explained her pregnancy, by having been shot by a bullet passing through a Union soldiers scrotum and lodging in her uterus - [Mythbusters, "Son of a gun".] Did they keep the bullet?

Why? https://www.jauce.com/auction/l1074409375 This guard is a complete wreck, yet someone has tried to put it back together - if that is the right word [ITITRW] - Crude yellow metal 'solder' on a very plain undecorated low grade tsuba [large]. Was it used as a test for a musket shot perhaps? Or too much punch pressure on cold iron?

Karigane - Wild geese. Possible "Ken" blades on the top guard - Looks like Akasaka to me. https://tsuba.info/akasaka/ With Owari also a possibility.

Yes Chris they are cheap and nasty - but how is it they turn up at the same time- why not weeks apart or even years? I have seen plenty of single tsuba turning up at once but not two from two sellers - the fundo element is also a strange coincidence. JMO

Two sellers in two different cities in Japan selling two guards at the same time that are almost identical except for tiny details that show they are not the same pieces. What are the chances? eBay seller - https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/144833371573 https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/144835360522 Jauce/Buyee etc. - https://www.jauce.com/auction/x1074206578 Also you might notice the "fundo" synchronicity with the sukashi guard and the other guard. ["fundo" is easier to see on the left example]

Of course Huish was writing for people who didn't necessarily care about the differences in iron and likely not metallurgists. As has been stated "hard" is a relative thing - I defy anyone hit over the head with a cast iron rod, as opposed to a wrought iron one, to be "conscious" of the difference.

Harking back to the letter sent by Huish to the Japanese Weekly Mail - and being way off subject - see what a difference ten years can make. So is this an aspiration still held by collectors today? To have as close to a thousand examples tucked away in drawers? - - I have a long way yet to go it seems.

The one I found is very similar to Bob Morrison's Posted March 24, 2021 I wish he had asked me to find a match, . . . still looking for a closer match to Grev's!

Steve very good work - I told everyone I was no good at reading kanji. One here by the same maker. Signed "Karatsu ju Masakuni" (Masakuni of Karatsu region). https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/three-Japanese-iron-tsubas-one-signed-edo-period--3-c-2b141a99fc#