Single 19th century Japanese sword menuki depicting a water lily bud with two leaves on stalks. Elegant design in Japanese taste, excellent work with superb detailing, bronze with beautiful coppery patina, in great condition. Signed with a single character KO on a plaque inside. Length 1 5/16 inches.

18th to early 19th century Japanese bronze kozuka (sword knife) handle with low relief decoration of Kanzan and Jittoku looking at an open scroll. According to a legend, Kanzan and Jittoku lived in a kitchen of a Chinese Zen Buddhist monastery and talked nonsensical language, which some took as a sign of them being enlightened. Great design, excellent detailing, wonderful faces, very pleasant feel of age. Length 3.86 inches.

Late 18th to early 19th century iron Japanese sword tsuba depicting a scholar peacefully fishing by a stream under a rock with vines and pine growing on it, design continues on the back showing clumps of bamboo grass. Nicely designed quiet piece with perfectly captured mood, wonderful quality work with silver and gold inlays, in great condition. Height 3 5/16 inches.

Ovoid-shaped (nagamarugata) iron tsuba hammered and chased with medallions. On one side, medallions of a dragon with gold highlights and a komainu (or shishi – lion dog guarding the temple). On the other one, a medallion of waves and clouds with gold highlights

Tanaka school
Japan – Edo period (1603-1868)
Width: 3.1 in. (8 cm) – depth: 3.3 in. (8.5 cm)

Pair of early 19th century menuki - Japanese sword fittings - each depicting a pair of pigeons in different attitudes. Superb design, excellent casting and detailing, beautiful patina. Length 1 3/16 inches.

Single early 19th century menuki - Japanese sword fitting - depicting a turtle. Beautiful design, crisp casting and detailing, expert silvering. Length 1.23 inches.

18th to early 19th century Japanese sword fuchi (bordering piece between the sword guard and the handle) with gilded relief design of playful shishi (Buddhist lion), all on finely punched ground texture called nanako, which means “fish-eggs” as it resembles fine rows of caviar. Excellent quality crisp work, some wear to gilding. Length 1.46 inches.

Early 19th century Japanese sword knife (kozuka) handle made of sentoku (alloy consisting of copper, zinc and tin) with inlaid scene of two birds on the riverbank by rocks, grasses and a woven rattan container with stones - such bundles were used for shoring riverbanks during floods. Excellent quality mixed metals inlays, wonderful crisp work. Some indents to the narrow sides from usage, otherwise in very good condition. Length 3 13/16 inches.

18th to early 19th century large size iron Japanese sword tsuba worked in low relief with an ama-ryu (rain dragon) in flight among wispy clouds. Clever and elegant design in Japanese taste, gilding to its eyes, in great condition. Height 3.35 inches (85 mm).

19th century or earlier Japanese sword set of fuchi (bordering piece between the sword guard and the handle) and kashira (metal pommel at the end of the hilt of a sword) with design of geese in flight over fishing boats with woven roofs and oars moored among reeds in the marshes. Excellent set in Japanese taste with wonderfully captured mood of autumnal melancholy. Very well made, some wear to gilding. Kashira length 1.41 inches, fuchi length 1.48 inches.

Early 19th century Japanese kashira (metal pommel at the end of the hilt of a sword) with relief decoration of two shishi (Buddhist lions) frolicking among huge peony flowers. Superbly made piece with crisp metalwork, shakudo body with gilding, in excellent condition. Length 1 3/8 inches.

19th century or earlier Japanese sword set of fuchi (bordering piece between the sword guard and the handle) and kashira (metal pommel at the end of the hilt of a sword) with bronze body and multimetal decoration of pine groves and a crane in flight on the background of Mount Fuji with snow capped summit and wispy clouds. Excellent sharp quality work, gold and silver inlays, in great condition. Kashira length 1.37 inches, fuchi length 1.5 inches.

18th century good size iron Japanese sword tsuba with decoration of Kanzan and Jittoku in conversation According to a legend, Kanzan and Jittoku lived in a kitchen of a Chinese Zen Buddhist monastery and talked nonsensical language, which some took as a sign of them being enlightened. Wonderful design, beautiful applied gold decoration of their robe patterns, crisp metalwork, in great condition. Height 3.23 inches.

Pair of early 19th century menuki - Japanese sword fittings - each depicting different hanaike - hanging container for flower arrangement, one made out of a bamboo stem, the other out of a hollow double gourd. Fantastic unusual design in Japanese taste, excellent casting and detailing, beautiful patina. Length 1 7/16 inches.

Very beautiful tsuba in sentoku inlaid with shakudo, gold and silver by Jo-I, first-rank artist from the end of the 18th century. The funny subject represents a man driving demons out of his house by throwing beans on the ground. Excellent work, perfect finish. No restoration or hidden defects. Original patinas. 67x58x4 mm

19th century or earlier Japanese sword kashira (metal pommel at the end of the hilt of a sword) with gilded decoration of samurai crests of paulownia leaves. Well made, finely textured ground called nanako, which means “fish-eggs” as it resembles fine rows of caviar, wear as can be seen on photos. Length 1.32 inches.

Pair of early 19th century menuki - Japanese sword fittings - depicting water a shepherd boy playing flute leaning against a resting buffalo, and his basket by another resting animal. Did not photograph well. Great design and detailing (see the faces and ribs of the animals), beautiful dark patina, gilding and silvering. Length 1 inch.

Early 19th century iron Japanese sword set of fuchi (bordering piece between the sword guard and the handle) and kashira (metal pommel at the end of the hilt of a sword) with relief design, respectively, of rhinoceros beetle by ivy leaves, and a spider in its web. Excellent quality work with multimetal inlays, great design, beautiful wear and patina. Kashira length 1.33 inches, fuchi length 1.46 inches.

18th to early 19th century iron Japanese sword tsuba worked in low relief with an ama-ryu (rain dragon) in flight among pouring rain and wispy clouds. Clever and elegant design in Japanese taste, gilded highlights, in great condition. Height 2.86 inches.

Single 19th century Japanese sword menuki depicting 7 shells with decoration on the inside. This rare subject is “kai-awase" - a Japanese game with painted shells, often depicting scenes from The Tale of Genji, as well as Genji-mon - crests representing individual chapters from the book, with 3 of them shown on this menuki. The aim of the game was to find the other half that would fit. Excellent work with superb detailing, bronze with silvering and gilding, beautiful patina, in great condition...

Late 18th to early 19th century iron Japanese sword tsuba with multimetal inlays depicting sennin Bukan Zenshi standing under a rock and waving for his faithful tiger to approach, which the beast seems to be very happy to do, the back showing mountains with pines and a waterfall. Bukan Zenshi (Pu Hsien in Chinese) was a 7th century priest and is usually shown with a tiger as his attendant...

Pair of 19th century Japanese sword menuki each depicting a dancing shojo: one with a ladle and a fan, the other with a ladle and a cup. Shojo are mythical creatures living near the sea, and are particularly fond of sake. Nice design, bronze with gilding, overall in very good condition. Length 1 1/4 inches.

Early 19th century iron Japanese sword tsuba for tanto with raised and inlaid decoration of a shojo dreamily looking at a huge pearl on a rock in front of it, a paddle with wet working end at the end of the rock. Shojo are mythical creatures living near the sea, who are particularly fond of sake. Excellent design, great quality inlays - see the silver inlay on the paddle indicating that it is wet, beautifully inlaid textile patterns, excellent patina. Height 2 1/4 inches.

Late 18th to early 19th century tanto iron Japanese sword tsuba with four cutouts surrounded by gold inlaid scrolls. Great design, nice feel of age, some rusting, overall in good condition. Height 2 1/2 inches.

Pair of early 19th century menuki - Japanese sword fittings - each depicting a wasp in different attitude on a tube containing their eggs. Great design, beautiful casting and detailing, wonderful patina. Length 1.4 inches.

18th to early 19th century iron Japanese sword tsuba with multimetal inlays depicting a tengu in flight among swirling clouds above city roofs as he carries a stolen jar of oil or sake that he carries in a string, two inlaid inscribed silver plaques. Design continues on the back showing a tall tower and more roofs. Tengu are mythological creatures half men, half birds, usually depicted as goblins, and first-class fighters. Wonderful subject, excellent detailing, inlays in various metals...

Pair of 19th century Japanese sword menuki each depicting a pair of frolicking shishi in different attitudes. Nice design, bronze with gilding, overall in very good condition. Length 1 3/8 inches.

Pair of early 19th century Japanese sword menuki depicting two dancers - a samurai with sword, and a merchant with fan. There is a nice detail for a netsuke lover - merchant is wearing an inro suspended by a gourd netsuke. Elegant design, superb detailing with gilding, in excellent condition. Fantastic example of Japanese metalwork. Height 1 1/8 inches.

18th to early 19th century iron Japanese sword tsuba with design of a shrew on a vine with ripe grapes, design continuing on the back. Crisp detailing, good design, gilded highlights, wonderful detailing in great condition. Height 2.82 inches.

Pair of early 19th century Japanese sword menuki depicting wild boars resting on rockery, one with young. Great design and detailing, bronze with dark patina, gold highlights. Length 1 1/2 inches.

Late 18th to early century Japanese sword tsuba with relief decoration of all sorts of natural objects, including ginkgo nuts and leaves, pine needles and cones, mushrooms, cherry flowers, maple leaves and acorns. Subtle design in Japanese taste, couple of rust spots on the surface, beautiful patina, very tranquil piece. Height 2 9/16 inches.

Early 19th century Edo period Japanese sword bronze kashira (metal pommel at the end of the hilt of a sword) with raised decoration of various sea shells, all on finely textured ground called nanako, which means “fish-eggs” as it resembles fine rows of caviar. Wonderful design in Japanese taste, beautifully made piece, obvious age wear. Length 1.34 inches.

Early 19th century Japanese sword iron tsuba with pierced decoration of water dragons contesting tama (Precious Gems). Strong early piece with numerous perforations, gilding, wear and patina consistent with age. Diameter 2.93 inches.

A large Tembo tsuba. The Tembo (or Tenpo) style evolved from the Saotome school and the sukashi decoration of Okiagari here (an especially nice feature) carries over. Okiagari are self righting toys and the subject was a symbol of inspiration to Samurai in aspiring to improvement and the right path in life. There is, on a curious level of interest, some minute trace of old gold decoration (long since worn off) on the surface of this tsuba...

Kozuka in sentoku inlaid with silver and gold butterflies. Length 95mm. Edo period.

Pair of 18th to early 19th century Japanese sword menuki each depicting a sitting spotted usagi (rabbit) with its ears spread widely to the sides. Great design with somehow funny faces. Bronze with black, copper and silver patinas. Overall in great condition for two hundred years old pieces. Length 1.28 inches.