andreYes

Thanks for the kind words George, thank you! I should upgrade the website, and add some more tsuba, but never have enough free time I hope someday I'll do it.

John The information about the swords I have: 1. Hidemitsu Osafune, Bushu province, 1388 year. 2. Yamashiro-no Daijo Fujiwara Kunitsugu, 1615-1628 3. Tsuguie, Bitchu province, 1185-1332 That is all, I even do not know who is the owner. He is very modest About the tsuba I chose for display. Very few people here know what is it, even among the Japanese culture lovers. So I triyed to show maximum diverse items, various schools, variuos technics, and most decorative. I was limited by the fact that I prefer iron with plant motif Here is the full list: If interested, here is the link to the photogallery of the exhibition's official photographer, Alexader Dvoriankin: https://realbigant.com/chronicle/sey-ryo-chistota-i-prohlada

Let me boast a little bit "Nihon No Bi" is an annual exhibition in Moscow devoted first of all to Ikebana and Suibokuga arts. This year it was expanded and included other Japanese arts like kimono, temari, kamono and origami. There was a showcase with three katana as well. I had an opportunity to participate with several tsuba, so I had two small showcases.

Dale, Not sure if it's powder coated, but it's definetly very modern. Your example is very similar: the color, and the surface texture. And it's made for Hiroshima Lions Club too. Mine is 30th Hiroshima Youth Kendo Tournament, yours - 22nd Another one "tsuba object" - cufflinks, found on a fleemarket in Tokyo:

Hi Dale, I have a kind of commemorative medal shaped as a Yagyu tsuba. It is large - almost 9 cm: It is a commemorative for the 30th Hiroshima City's Youth Kendo Tournament. Thanks to the community I identified it - https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/6309-i-need-help-in-translation/

Me too I have a similar one to Rob's I thought that it's shibuichi... I have another one, that I suppose to be made of shibuichi too, and its color is very similar. I made a photo of the both. I think the goose is made of shakudo, the difference in color is obvious. So the plate is shibuichi, isn't it?

The inscription is Kofu Ju Namitoshi (江府住並壽) A very simillar tsuba was on sale here: - number 9 One more very nice Namitoshi tsuba was sold by Grey Doffin: https://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/tsuba-%26-kodogu/q125-signed-iron-tsuba-namitoshi

One more

Finally I managed to sign up! I just had to uncheck the automatic renewal...

Does not work for me ☹️ I've got the following message:

Thank you! Concerning Myochin, I thought about it after reading this article from Robert Haynes' and Elliott Long's website: http://www.shibuiswords.com/haynesTsu35.html

Please help to identify a tsuba with gourd design. The plate is mokume ji, and the design is made with takabori and zogan. Size: 7.5 x 7.5 x 0.4 cm. I've read that most of mokume ji tsuba were made by Myochin craftsmen... Does anybody seen something simillar?

You are right! I didn't notice it before, but looking at the photos from the museum now, I see that many tsuba are placed the ura side out. That's strange!

Thank you, Florian! Now I remember this tsuba from V&A Museum, I saw it several years ago I found the photo, I've made:

Yes, the lower part is probabli tsuki-boshi (月星) - moon and star, I think... I've found an interesting explanation of the san-ko design in the description of an Richard Turner's tsuba in his old blog here

Arnold, thank you for your opinion! Didn't know about san-ko (三光, right?) design before, very interesting!

Thank you, Jean!

Thank you for good ideas! Mauro, great reference piece! No information about its age? Piers, thank you for the picture, never seen a kasane style of a three star kamon! Interesting site/databese - I should study it deeply So, the description could be "suhama ni mizutama" or "kasane mitsu-boshi ni tsukiboshi". I doubt whether we'll know, what was the tsubako's thoughts The question is its age... As Patrick said, some signs indicates, that it could be a Ko-Tosho thing, but the main point is the quality of iron and patina, I suppose. Maybe someone with a good experience with an old iron could give his opinion, please? If it really possible to make any conclusions just by photo...

You mean the suhama, Grev? I thought about it, but it's usually more space between the "ears of Mikey Mouse", I think

Hi, Please, help me with this tosho style tsuba. Diameter is 7.6 cm, thickness - 3 mm. 1. Is it possible to tell something about its age basing on the photos? Does the shape of kozuka hitsu ana could be a sign in this case? 2. I'm not sure about motif: it could be a kukurizaru, but it seems to me that it is moon and star on the bottom, and 3 star mon on top.

Ono! Thank you, Christian!

Here is a simple, but nice tsuba with a traditional Musashino design: moon and grass. One more reason why I like this kind of design: it could be named Sogetsu 草月 - like the name of the modern Ikebana school, that my wife belongs to The size is: 7.5 x 7.4 cm, thickness - 0.6 cm What school could it be? Akasaka? The design seems to me a little bit rough for Akasaka, the rim is squarish. Besides, does Akasaka tsubas have suhama gata kozuka ana? Any opinions about school / age will be highly appreciated

Dear Christian, Thank you very much! Your help is invaluable! As always The theme of Tosa Myochin, and its comparison to Akasaka interest me greatly, so your detailed explanation is very helpful!

Hi all, I need some help with this tsuba. First of all, I feel something wrong with its surface. Is it OK? Or this tsuba is modern made? Or maybe it was recently repatinated? I like very much the design, but I can't understand it The seller wrote that It's myoga, but I think he's wrong. It resembles me the seeds of reed as it is usually depicted on Akasaka tsuba... What else could it be?

So sad!!! Unfortunately never contacted him directly, but always read his comments with great interest...