A cast tsuba [90% sure] with a spurious signature.

[Spartancrest]

I picked up this tsuba a few months back and it finally arrived today - there is an almost identical guard in the Cleveland Museum of Art   1919.329 [that one is unsigned].

I am wondering what the signature says? I know it will not be ubu but we might get some laughs from it?

[Infinite_Wisdumb]

"I cast my heart to Spartancrest"

[vajo]

Some kind of Umetada 

 

[Toryu2020]

埋忠明寿　Umetada Myoju...

[ROKUJURO]

Yes Chris,

UMETADA MYOJU, I think (after a closer look). 梅忠明寿)

Dale, I don't see an indication to it being cast.

[Spartancrest]

Jean I do hope you are right with a signature like that! - but when I see four in a row I have my suspicions especially when they all show slightly 'off' faults. Is it a style that Umetada did or is it more Kinai or even Ito? Anyone ever get to buy a genuine Umetada Myoju for $60 ? The other three don't have any signatures so maybe they are copies of mine! 

[vajo]

Good for assembling it on a chinese made sword.

[Spartancrest]

You might be right Chris! Could you let the Cleveland Museum know they have another 'dud' in their collection - they have a few and it would be better if it wasn't me telling them again. 

[Spartancrest]

Well how is this for synchronicity? Another guard of the same design - tucked away in a group of six rather ordinary pieces.

 https://www.jauce.com/auction/l1072822959  - unfortunately the images are too small to get very much detail.

It still amazes me how a single pattern can seem to appear in numbers all at once [or at least over a pretty short time span]

Another pattern to add to "Watch out it is likely cast!"

 

[Spartancrest]

Found yet another but the image quality is so poor there is a possibility it has already been recorded.

From a Christie's auction back in 1998.