This is a really wonderful forged iron tsuba with a mokume like pattern to the forging and an image of either Daruma or one of the eight immortals holding the jewel of wisdom with a scroll, and on the reverse a pine tree. All with silver and gold highlights. The forged and cut images are superbly done. I am not very good at reading mei, but this appears to be signed on the front Tomo Yasu. It appears that he worked in the late edo period in the Nagato Hagi area, maybe even the rebellion! Ki ...click for details
This is a wonderful pair of toad menuki almost netsuke like in the execution, very detailed in a bronze like alloy with gold accents. The box has some writing on it, but I do not think it is related. Excellent condition.
A very nice pair of fuchi kashira depicting waves in shakudo with gold accents, very well carved and executed. I have not been able to read the mei ( best I come up with is Mizu kawa ? shiba ? bo kao which does not make a lot of sense ). Excellent Edo work, excellent condition.
Here is a very fine kodogu piece. the metal work is astounding. Made from a shibuichi base with silver, copper ( yamagane ), gold and shakudo. The frog is copper with double inlaid eyes, and inlaid spots, the lotus pod has tiny seeds! While there is some wear, the piece is in overall excellent condition. About 4 13/16" long, 9/16" wide and 3/8" high. A masterpiece of edo metalwork.
Very nice Edo period fuchi kashira with shakudo dragon in wavess with gold highlights. Very well carved. Fuchi is 1 9/16" Kashira is 1 3/8", excellent condition.
A beautiful and highly detailed pair of lobster menuki for tanto, wakizashi, or katana. About 1 3/4" long, slight wear, one post missing. Excellent condition. Circa 1850 or earlier.
This is a really fine kogai ( like kozuka or kodzuka but no blade ) for a wakizashi or tanto. It looks like shibuichi with gold and silver inlay and overlay. The theme is sweetfish in a stream, and the work is really remarkable. This is not an average item, the metal work is perfectly finished and detailed on all sides. the back is signed, but I have not been able to read it well -- best I can come up with is Bo Chido, and then Tamezui. it is about 7 3/16" long, and in near perfect con ...click for details
I bought this a couple of years ago from aoi art in Japan. Mr Tsuruda is well known for his expertise in Japanese swords, and he has guaranteed this tsuba as being authentic. It is very a large ( about 3 3/4" diameter ) mokko-gata ( wood grain ) iron tsuba with a profile of Daruma and light kikko-mon pattern. All hand forged of course. Daruma has gold eyes. Masanao was from Echigo province the third son of Oguri Yoshinao and learned under Endo Haoyuki of the Hamano school. Late Edo pe ...click for details
A very nice lacquer tsuka and saya koshirae for a tanto. Simple and elegant. Excellent condition, Saya 10 7/8" tsuka 4 5/16", will fit blade of approximately 9 3/4".
A very nice kashira for Japanese samurai sword depicting the story of Guanin and the red pine. Done in silver, gold and copper on a shakudo ground, it is substantial and heavy with the work done in high relief. John Berta saw this at the sword show in Chicago and said the signature looked good, but I forgot to ask him to read it for me! I'll try to look it up. Very fine detail ( even the Guanin's eyes have pupils!). Nice condition with some wear.
