Justwalt

Peace, I didn't disappear, new photos being taken Monday

Wow folks, I appreciate everyone's interest and input on this piece, I am having the tsuba brought out of storage in PA this week. It's current condition is as it was 65 years ago, always in secure storage. The photos were just a month ago when I first saw and held it. There's no paint, but looking close up at the black in the cuts/stamping/? kind of looks like an antiquing finish even long ago... The photos take then were just to translate the script, step one, if you will. I'll have it soon to do a thorough examination. Apparently every aspect of tsuba construction is studied. We're learning, and would rather know what this is, than to not.... it may be passed again to the granddaughter. It is a family memento... real, reproduction or rubbish, it still is an intriguing area of history explore. I'll definitely follow this to some end, here on this site. I'll have the metals verified, measurements, photos... maybe there's a different section this should be moved to ??? Thanks W

Thanks, y’all make this seem easy. Regardless of this tsuba being some original period work, it was given as a tip to a waitress about sixty-five years back, and was passed to her daughter several years ago. It looks and feels like solid brass with copper overlays... maybe gold in the dragon’s eyes, and the cartouche. The dragon looks perfect, but the script and inlays look rough, given the materials used here.

Hello all, first time posting here, and first serious inquiries into the pictured tsuba. There appears to be two different languages and some odd symbols as well. Any help in translating these is appreciated greatly. Thank you