Pair of early 19th century menuki - Japanese sword fittings - each depicting a wasp in different attitude on a tube containing their eggs. Shakudo with gilding, fantastic design, superb casting and detailing, beautiful patina. Length 1 7/16 inches.

Pair of early 19th century Japanese sword menuki depicting young Yoshitsune and Benkei at the Gojo bridge in Kyoto. For an account of this significant encounter see H. Joly LEGEND IN JAPANESE ART, p. 82. Do not photograph well. Shakudo body, silver inlaid highlights, in great condition. Length of Yoshitsune menuki is 1 inch.

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.

Pair of 19th century Japanese sword menuki each depicting an undulating dragon among clouds in different attitude. Did not photograph well - photos came out too harsh. Excellent design, bronze with fire gilding, superb casting and detailing, beautiful patina. Length 1 7/8 inches.

Pair of early 19th century Japanese sword menuki depicting lobsters on a bed of sea weeds. One menuki has Daikoku mallet on top (stands for wealth), and the other a character meaning long life. Excellent work with great detailing - see various textures of the shells. Bronze with coppery patina, gilded water drops on the sea weeds, overall in great condition. Length 1 9/16 inches.

Pair of early 19th century Japanese sword menuki depicting what appears to be different proverbs. The first one llustrates a sentence “A gourd against a catfish” meaning useless effort similar to trying to catch a slippery fish with a gourd. The other one depicts a puzzled man scratching his head by a samurai spear - I am not sure what this particular story is. Elegant design, bronze and shakudo with silvering and gilding, overall in great condition. Length 1 9/16 inches.

Pair of early 19th century Japanese sword menuki each depicting a samurai with a weapon in different attitudes: one is wielding a sword, the other a naginata (a machete on a wooden shaft). Wonderful work, bronze with silver inlays and gilding, slight wear, in great condition. Length 1 1/16 inches.

Pair of early 19th century Japanese sword menuki depicting egrets wading in a stream with swirling water, grasses and flowering water lilies. Elegant design, bronze with silvering and gilding, overall in very good condition. Length 1 3/8 inches.

Pair of early 19th century Japanese sword menuki each depicting a pair of armored samurai in sword fights in different attitudes. Wonderful work, bronze with gilding, slight wear, in very good condition. Length 1 1/4 inches.

Pair of early 19th century menuki - Japanese sword fittings - each depicting a pigeon in different attitude. Superb design, excellent casting and detailing - see the differentiated feathers of the birds, gilded highlights, beautiful patina. Comes with kiriwood box, fitted cushion with stretchy bands for holding menuki. Length 1 inch.

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.

Pair of 19th century Japanese sword menuki depicting kaki fruit - Japanese persimmon - on branches with leaves. Excellent design in Japanese taste. Bronze with beautiful brown patina, gold inlaid dewdrops on leaves, in great condition. Length 1 1/2 inches.

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.

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 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.

Pair of early 19th century Japanese sword menuki each depicting a pair of geese resting on a riverbank by a willow tree. Bronze with brown patina, overall in good condition. Length 1 7/16 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...

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.

Single 19th century Japanese sword menuki depicting water a shepherd boy playing flute leaning against a standing buffalo, a folded umbrella sticking out of his robe. The subject is bokudo - a theme of a perfect peace of mind, and one of the stages of a journey towards Buddhahood. Great design and detailing - see the face and skin folds on the back of the animal, beautiful dark patina, gilding. Length 1 5/16 inches.

Single 19th century menuki - Japanese sword fitting - depicting a twisting dragon clutching a Precious Gem in its claws. Great design and detailing, crisp work with gilding, beautiful patina. Length 1 5/8 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.

19th century Japanese kozuka (sword knife) handle depicting Ebisu - one the Seven Gods of Good Fortune, that of fishing - happily hanging out in a humble boat by reeds in a stream. Wonderful crisp work - see his happy smiling face, texture of his hat and finely done reed leaves, in excellent condition. Signed SHOGETSUSAI HARUYUKI on the back - the artist is a listed 19th century Japanese metalsmith...

19th century Japanese kozuka (sword knife) handle depicting a long arrow and a segment of samurai’s armor with cord, all on the background of a stone castle wall. Unusual and elegant piece, wonderful crisp work - see the textures of the feathers on the arrow and silk wrappings holding together metal plates constituting the armor. Gilding, finely textured ground, in excellent condition. Length 3 13/16 inches.

19th century Japanese kozuka (sword knife) handle depicting a view from the height of a castle tower and boats with sails and oars among the waves in a bay. Beautifully designed, wonderful crisp work with shakudo and gold inlays, in excellent condition. Length 3 13/16 inches.

19th century 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 gold inlaid design of birds in flight over a gnarled flowering cherry tree. Made out of shakudo (alloy of copper and gold) with characteristic black patination resembling lacquer. Excellent quality work, in great condition. Kashira length 1 5/16 inches, fuchi length 1 7/16 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 relief design of numerous butterflies in different attitudes, all on finely punched ground texture called nanako, which means “fish-eggs” as it resembles fine rows of caviar. Excellent quality work, wear to gilding as can be seen on photos. Kashira length 1 5/16 inches, fuchi length 1 7/16 inches.

19th century Edo period Japanese kashira (metal pommel at the end of the hilt of a sword) with relief depiction of Benten seated on a throne floating on a cloud and accompanied by 3 attendants. Benten is the only female among the Seven Gods of Good Fortune, that of learning, speech and music. Wonderful crisp metalwork, beautiful gold and silver inlays, in great condition. Length 1 1/4 inches.

19th century Edo period Japanese kashira (metal pommel at the end of the hilt of a sword) with relief depiction of a crane in flight over pine saplings, all on a finely punched ground texture called nanako, which means “fish-eggs” as it resembles fine rows of caviar. Wonderful crisp metalwork, some worn gilding, in great condition. Length 1 1/4 inches.

A very unusual and rare mid Edo period iron Duo. Full wrap around breast and back plate with hinged shoulders plates. Detail of an incredibly fierce and deleted dragon wrapped around and suspended around swirling clouds.
In japan, the dragon represent wisdom, strength, force for good, wind, water and of coarse wealth. Dragons are destructive forces, but they are also considered guardians.
The collar of the undergarment is hand sewn silk embroidered with gold threads...

18th century or earlier Soten school Japanese sword iron sukashi tsuba with pierced decoration of four samurai with swords and bows among pine trees by a waterfall. Wonderful early work, great design, powerful piece. Signed, the left side of the inscription reads SOTEN, the right one must be the name of a particular artist. Height 2 3/4 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...

18th to early 19th century iron Japanese sword tsuba depicting a bird in flight among bamboo stems and leaves with design continuing on the back. Wonderful subject, crisp work with gilding, excellent detailing. Beautiful patina, great feel of age. Height 2 3/4 inches.

18th century Japanese sword iron tsuba inlaid on the front with gilded copper bunch of flowers and grasses, the back inlaid with a sickle. Elegant piece in Japanese taste, superb quality inlay with finely defined petals, great feel of age. Height 3 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.

Early 19th century Japanese sword tsuba with combination of sunken and raised relief decoration of a seated man wearing eboshi (a specific hat worn by aristocrats to indicate rank) holding a bitter melon in his hands and looking at more melons and lotus leaves with flowers, design continuing on the back. Material appears to be shakudo (alloy of copper and gold) with characteristic black patination resembling lacquer...

19th century Edo period Japanese bronze kashira (metal pommel at the end of the hilt of a sword) with multimetal inlays depicting wispy clouds supporting a tiger, a shishi and a kirin, all on a punched ground texture called nanako, which means “fish-eggs” as it resembles fine rows of caviar. Unusual combination of animals, wonderfully made piece with crisp metalwork and gilding, in great condition. Length 1 1/4 inches.