Spartancrest

Well - - - you might have gotten a much cheaper version earlier on. No doubt in my mind these are modern - sorry about that

It was easier to move it than having to search for it. - https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/42996-nmb-cat-corner/page/2/ Posted January 5 Present-day Osafuné artisan. (Offered as one of the prizes at the New Year’s party.)

Any musicians out there?

Stephen there are plenty of Dog tsuba that is for sure - or is it Dogs of tsuba!

https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/20493/lot/34/ A SENTOKU TSUBA Attributed to Nakajima Toshiharu, Tanaka School, 19th century Of rounded rectangular form with raised rim, carved and inlaid with a seated cat beside a gutter and downpipe, with details of silver and shakudo takazogan and a brushwood fence engraved on the reverse, signed Rakusei no ju Toshiharu with kao. 6.7cm (2 5/8in). 6 Nov 2013 Sold for £ 1,750 Sublime to the ridiculous!

A menuki set with a cat watching a butterfly - Page 131 of this book - ISBN-13978-4769401360 Also some design images for menuki from the Chosen-Gafu book

Okan - it might be a big stretch with that tsuba - - but I can see where you are headed I had no idea the Japanese were into Cheshire cats!

You might have come across these two already.

Glen the writers of Avatar took everything from "Dances with Wolves" - it became in effect "Dances with Aliens" - - Just the same as the makers of "The Last Samurai" - it should have been called "Dances with Swords" - Hollywood at its best - rehashing the past and trying to slip it past as something new. "Unobtanium"- not a great investment name for a mining concern when you think about it. "Lend us some money to find the one thing in the Universe you can't actually obtain" .. Where do I send the cheque? I know! Way way

There is almost an identical copy of your tsuba here- https://www.jauce.com/auction/h1046216127 You will nearly always pay more for a well known name on a tsuba - even if the signature is not always correct or the tsuba is not very well made. My advice is forget about any signatures and concentrate on what pleases you [ if it happens to be signed that may be a bonus but go with your heart first.] No use having the name of some great maker on a piece you really don't like. As far as price goes, I know some members say save your money and only get the very best - but you won't know the very best straight away so don't spend a fortune on what other people consider you should buy. Ask opinions sure, but the choice should always be yours.

I think it is a Yamagane tsuba by Hirata Hikozo with an odawara fukurin and design of Namako (Sea Cucumber) This one for sale at PRICE: $48,500.00 https://nihonto.com/8-8-19-2/ different sukashi design but same maker or school. Way way way out of my pay grade!

Sorry no idea how to write it in Kanji - You can find it here - https://www.abebooks.com/Tosogu-Kansho-Endo-Tatsuo-Tokyo-Shoyukai/30388416659/bd Double volume - much more expensive - https://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/book/fittings-books/b1064-tosogu-no-kansho-ii-rare-2nd-volume/ The other book. Tsuba Meisaku Shu by Homma & Sato, 1963 https://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/book/fittings-books/b459-tsuba-meisaku-shu-by-homma-sato-1963/

Hi Vitaly, the second book is "Toso Soran" by Torigoye Kazutaro (1978) [What sort of money did you pay for it?] Another good book in both Japanese and English is "Tosogu no Kansho" by Shoyukai. [1982] It is not a very thick book but good images. Also "Tsuba Meisaku Shu" by Homma & Sato [1963] a bit harder to find and no doubt more expensive. Some of the more common shapes you will find in tsuba.

Shachi is only a small section on this guard. https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/20503/lot/1033/?category=list Fuchi - https://www.jauce.com/auction/j1080038495

There are three in the Metropolitan Museum of Art No. 91.1.784 - 91.1.803 - 2008.465 All signed Tsuneshige.

Grev? https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=5090586270987496

The man to see is GRC Glen Cordner he has been collecting images of these for sometime and must have close to 90 examples so far - each a utsushi but also individually unique. Also an old thread here: One not to bother with: https://www.buytsuba.com/Hawk-Japan-Samurai-Sword-Katana-Copper-Fitting-Tsuba-Fuchi-Kashira-Menuki-10.html

Nice job it does look much better. You can just see a little seppa-shadow line where it has been mounted for some time, it isn't a recently made piece.

Wow if this is your first tsuba purchase you have luck on your side and good taste! There would be plenty of people waiting to be second inline if you don't want it.

I realise these are completely from a different school [or schools] but the leaves and in particular the four petal flowers are very close - these are from the Cleveland Museum of Art and the only description is "Tsuba of Flowering vine". The stems also show signs of segmented sections as does the original posted image. So we may be looking for a vine rather than a plant?

Howard I came across a tsuba with many of the elements on your kozuka - the way the hat was done in particular - perhaps it might lead you to the school or maker? Sorry I don't have a translation for the Japanese - the image comes from this book. On page 117.

Well the auction on Jauce from OITA province has either been pulled or he sold it for the lower BIN price. The eBay listing is still running from TOKYO - I wonder if he bought it or will shortly be pulling his auction down if he can't supply? Personally I didn't like the way the "toy dog" was attached - too much solder?

Jesse which advertising site did you find the "Toy dog & Fishing rod" tsuba? Ebay with the price tag of US $1,171.17 or Jauce/Buyee for 70,000 yen [approx.US $537.34] Is it some new rule that pieces are twice the price on eBay now? https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/325502158557 https://www.jauce.com/auction/t1078354423

Ha ha ha - I have just been looking at the same things - mainly Obidome - it is anyone's guess what the animals really are, one top right could even be a short eared rabbit and the three under it could be French bulldogs?