Spartancrest

https://www.lotusartsdevivre.com/products/tsuba-buckle-belt-with-galuchat At these prices I will stick with string holding my pants up! How much for a pair of braces? GALUCHAT BELT WITH TSUBA BUCKLE Regular price USD $3,590.00

Even more classy - too rich for my blood! https://www.studiobaharra.com/bushido-line-products/tsuba-medallion-buckle $1,900.00 TSUBA: ALL SILVER APPR 2 INCHES DIAMETER https://www.lotusartsdevivre.com/products/tsuba-buckle-belt-with-galucha TSUBA BUCKLE BELT WITH GALUCHAT TSUBA BUCKLE BELT WITH GALUCHAT Regular price USD $4,310.00

Yes they move but you might need a microscope to do any calculations! I am surprised the thin wires are still intact, must have been a fun build!

This one is a tsuba imitating something else - an abacus - perhaps it belonged to a merchant? Count the number of dead after a battle? Liked the sound of rattling metal? and another tsuba inspired inro

A lighter for the Aussie Barbie [BBQ]? https://buyee.jp/item/yahoo/shopping/zippo-landing_r02-2018i/category/2406 https://buyee.jp/item/yahoo/shopping/revolutjp_cstg2/category/2406 and a nice shirt for the Aussie summer. Coffee cup? https://buyee.jp/item/yahoo/shopping/o-trap_99408103/category/2406

Getting back to Bazza - do you need ice with that bottle opener? https://buyee.jp/item/yahoo/shopping/o-trap_99411229/category/2406 I swear there is some strange tsuba stuff out there!

You might like to try using these kanji for a search - イタチ 目貫 or イタチ 鍔 - I would not rely on Google translate for the description on these menuki! Very close theme to the Peabody examples. https://tokka.biz/fittings/F068.html This rather fat menuki [more like a tanuki to me ] https://aucview.aucfan.com/yahoo/s1071573559/ described as "Katamenuki for tanto Inlaid copper base metal Large weasel rat design"

A kozuka on "flea spray" https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/275157078433 - the rare camel head weasel!

Now this guy doesn't look very cute! Freddy Krueger meets the Wolverine! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_weasel Kamaitachi (the slashing sickle-weasel that haunts the mountains) from Kyōka Hyaku Monogatari [what is he, an early model leaf-shredder? ]

You might have to strain your eyes a little but there is a weasel on the lower left near the gold goat.

I just found this link to the archive of the "The Peabody Museum collection of Japanese sword guards" - https://archive.org/details/peabodymuseumcol00peab_0/page/n51/mode/2up The full book and images are there, Perhaps this link could find its way to the downloads section ? Nice that a museum has made this available to the general public - Cheers to the "Peabody Museum of Salem". [ I could have saved my time photographing the book pages at home! ]

Some images here of similar menuki and matching fittings from the Peabody collection. Book cover., 1975

Do you mean 'UBU' tosogu?

Try looking for "Ghost tsuba" This one is a different take on that 1916 image from before. MFA Boston

Jean that wooden snake has been around for a long time, you are correct it is upside down as far as the snake is concerned. Now if you want to be scared [of a wooden 'tsuba'] this one takes some beating! It too has been on-line now for several years. But this "Freddy Krueger" Lookalike would put me off! From the Pitt-Rivers Museum at Farnham ca. 1916 [It is one way of getting rid of unwanted tradesmen!] By the way that wooden snake is going for it's third auction that I know of - way overpriced starting point! https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/yoshiaki-a-rare-wood-tsuba-depicting-a-snake-1372-c-8bd461aab5

Porcelain tsuba - still a little 'potty'

Bottle openers - BaZZa, you got it! Even Ford posted about them back in 2008 https://www.ebay.com/itm/354484325058

This image of a 'fox', 'ferret' or 'weasel'? from 2012 https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/10475-wakizashi-by-masasada-opinions-appreciated/ looks like it was held in high esteem sitting on a pedestal.

Jeremy Who said "Great minds think alike, and so do yours and mine" Whoever did, the message has been misquoted more times than you can poke a proverb!

Howard, FERN LEAVES (Urajiro or Moromoki), are symbolic of exuberant posterity [all future generations of people.]; they are used in the New Year's Eve ceremony. [Taken from: Legend in Japanese art; a description of historical episodes, legendary characters, folk-lore myths, religious symbolism by Joly, Henri L 1908] This link should be in all collectors files, some handy information: https://archive.org/details/legendinjapanese00jolyuoft/mode/2up

Hi Jean - that means more for me! These are still out there! https://www.jauce.com/auction/x1014861456 https://www.jauce.com/auction/s1018459866 https://www.jauce.com/auction/n510108027 https://www.jauce.com/auction/v774574905 https://www.jauce.com/auction/c1003611698 https://www.jauce.com/auction/q1009022046 https://www.jauce.com/auction/g517286314 https://www.jauce.com/auction/1029302916 https://www.jauce.com/auction/e524211134 The seller has 2,343 key-rings [I should get a search fee! ] For those with similar interests, there are Key-rings with Jitte, Kabuto and Swords from the same seller - and just about everything else you can think of, but you will have to do those searches for yourselves via the links above. Happy hunting! I think I am going 'Potty" [This definition not the other one! ] Go potty: 1. To become irrational, crazy, eccentric, or addlebrained. Primarily heard in UK. [and Australia]

Jean, why stop at one? These are some of my key-rings and Kendo badges.

Piers, we would get a visit from the police if we had Bingo prizes like that - but can you save me a seat! [tsuba: is that a squirrel and grape vine?] Shedding more light on tsuba objects : And monkeying around with one

Ten tsuba on one side - this is a collection in itself! Sorry no image of the ura.

More items: Tsuba decorated leather "Bill-fold" 1970s-80s Gold lacquer inro Wood and metals netsuke "Kashigata" wooden cake molds