Daisho Bushu school iron tsuba. Sukashi decoration of basket weave panels and parcel gilt prunus blossoms. Each signed Bushu Ju Masanaga. A nice pair of tsuba having started life together. Edo period. Good condition. Larger, 2 7/8 by 2 3/4 inches. Smaller, 2 3/4 by 2 5/8 inches.

A fabulous pair of daisho iron tsuba. Haruta school, with the character “Haru” still legible in the seppa-dai of the larger. Realistic depiction of weathered wood with a few gin-zogan (inlaid silver) woodworms in the decoration of the larger. I’ve seen similar work attributed to Hirata school, but that must have been misheard from Haruta. Excellent condition, and the two having started life together. Later Edo period, early 19th century. Larger 3 1/8 by 2 15/16 inches. Smaller, 2 13/16 by 2 5/8 inches.

A pair of daisho iron tsuba of yatsu-mokko-gata (eight lobed) form. Sukashi motif of fans and gingko leaves (an interesting combination of similar shapes). Some chiseled texturing of the surfaces of the gingko leaves. Edo period, circa 1700. Good, serviceable condition with a few interrupted fan ribs on the larger. It is about 3 1/8 inches diameter. The smaller is about 2 7/8 inches diameter.

Two finely carved and parcel gilt iron tsuba. Each signed Choshu Hagi Ju Sakunoshin Tomohisa. Decoration of pine cone, gingko leaf, maple leaf and oak branch with leaves and acorns. This is also a known Bushu school motif. Edo period. Good condition. One 2 15/16 inches by 2 13/16 inches. The other 3 by 2 3/4 inches. Offered as a pair as they would work perfectly for daisho with a stout wakizashi, but we will entertain interest in just one as well.

A fine pair of Chosho school maurugata form iron daisho tsuba. Sukashi work depicting blossoms on budding prunus branches. Strongly and well carved decoration. Edo period, 18th century. Good condition, with the nakago-ana filed larger at some point. Larger, 3 1/8 diameter. Smaller, 2 7/8 by 2 13/16 inches.

A fine daisho pair of Akasaka school iron sukashi tsuba. The concentric rings motif reminds of kamon designs but also could be symbolic of the rings on a Buddhist monks prayer staff. Very good spatial design consistent with earlier, sophisticated yet austere samurai taste. These started life together for use on the long and short sword pair. Circa 1700. Excellent condition and consistent as a pair in all respects. Larger, 2 15/16 by 2 7/8 inches. Smaller, 2 13/16 by 2 3/4 inches.

A matched pair of iron tsuba. Wasp and antler motif. Relates to a Japanese saying (we’ll research and get back with an account). Not a true daisho pair, the workmanship and subject are more than just close enough to appropriately use well on daisho swords. Edo period Shoami work, circa 1800. I’ve also seen this motif attributed to Kanayama (the surface texture would be consistent). There could be overlap as Shoami was more a movement than a region-bound school. Good condition. Comparable dimension for each, about 3 1/4 inches high by 3 1/8 inches wide. One round and spatially larger.

Daisho ko-Shoami marugata form (round) tsuba. Gunbai-uchiwa motif (gunbai referring to a war signal fan and uchiwa referring to the form of the fan). A pair being understood as a daisho (though one tsuba being for the longer of two swords, and the other for the shorter sword, they are more often than not graduated in size). These started life together. It also being understood that a ko-Shoami tsuba would be iron - the Shoami tsuba movement issuing from armor makers and “ko” (old) relating these tsuba to earlier in that movement. Good, simple, Samurai taste of the late Muromachi era. 16th century. Good condition. Larger, between 3 1/8 and 3 3/16 inches diameter. Smaller , between 2 7/8 and 2 15/16 inches diameter. Thickness each, about an 18th inch.

An Edo period Echizen Kinai school iron sukashi tsuba. Strongly carved to depict a coiled dragon. Niji-mei signature “Kinai”. Very good condition. Early 19th century. Height, 3 3/8 inches. Width, 3 5/16 inches. (3/16 of an inch thick)

An Edo period iron sukashi tsuba depicting two sages within a well executed landscape with waterfall, grass, pine and clouds all nicely detailed with sparse gold inlay. Bearing the signature “Soten Sei”. Good condition. Height, 3 1/8 inches. Width, nearly 3 inches

An interesting Owari marugata form tsuba. The sukashi decoration of water caltrop is unusual with the side views top and bottom and the silohuette views left and right of the seppa-dai. Owari examples usually portray the water caltrop with open-work (rather than silhouetted) centers. The water caltrop is referred to in Japanese art terminology as “matsukawa” because of its shape and texture resembling pieces of coarse pine bark. The size, shape, proportion, symmetric decoration and plum color of the iron consistent with Owari. Appears to be scant traces of original lacquer on the surface. One hitsu-ana for kozuka or bashin. Azuchi-Momoyama period, Circa 1600. Good condition. Diameter, 3 1/8 inches

Higo iron tsuba. Hayashi school Sukashi fish net pattern within mimi. Hitsuana for kozuka and kogai flanking the seppa-dai. Edo period. Good condition but could use a little cleaning and care. Height, 2 15/16 inches. Width, 2 13/16 inches. (About 3/16 inches thick)

An Edo period iron sukashi tsuba with “hundred monkeys” motif. 18th century.

A copper alloy (sentoku) example in The Metropolitan Museum of Art posits the motif as “108 human sins in the guise of monkeys” (46.122.77). Signed Hishū Yagami-Jū Mitsuhiro, it and other examples include a silver alloy (shibuichi) tsuba in The Walters Art Museum (from Noda, rather than Yagami, in Hizen province) signed the same (51.133), a second (unsigned and in the nanban manner with patterned seppa-dai) in the Walters has a mimi surrounding the open worked plate, an iron nanban tsuba in the Seattle Art Museum (37.44), a photographed iron nanban tsuba in the J. Paul Getty Museum (56538), and an iron tsuba in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston signed Yagami Shoyoken Mitsuhiro (13.1769).

Of the above examples in prominent public collections, the sentoku [copper alloy] and shibuichi [silver alloy] examples appear to be later generations of the same Mitsuhiro line. The present example (unsigned) and the Boston example (signed Yagami Shoyoken Mitsuhiro) are traditional iron tsuba, taking inspiration but not form from nanban work (proportions, seppa-dai and this tsuba's mimi [rim] being traditional), and exhibit strikingly comparable workmanship including sparse gold details on at least a few eyes of the monkeys. Both also have symmetric hitsu-ana suggestive of the Shoami tsuba movement. The remaining cited examples are nanban work from which the motif derived.

The present, unsigned example may be earlier than the cited examples owing to the prominent mimi consistent with the tradition of katchushi (armorer) tsuba from which the Shoami movement evolved. Later generations were also more likely to sign comparable works. I would characterize this tsuba as early Hizen Yagami Mitsuhiro work in the Shoami tradition and probably the same "Shoyoken Mitsuhiro", as the Boston museum example, or possibly a preceding generation or contemporary. It is reasonable that creative Shoami artists could be expected to pick up influences including from extant nanban work. Hizen province generally being a center for foreign trade, and Yagami specifically being a district of the Nagasaki trade port, further supports this.

An article by Robert Burawoy in Bushido magazine, V3,No1, 3rd quarter 1981, touches on the three generations known to have signed Yagami Mitsuhiro. Some reference is made to economy of simpler execution of the mimi by the first generation - with repetitive pattern in contrast to varied detail by the second generation. The thick, prominent mimi of the present example also provides economy of execution as does the second, nanban example in the Walters (though the present example is clearly by a Japanese artisan while the same cannot be said of the Walters’ unsigned nanban manner tsuba).

Good condition. Height, 3 inches. Width, 2 3/4 inches. (Seppa-dai about an 1/8 inch thick. Mimi a little more than 1/8 inch thick. The monkeys decoration a little less than 1/8 inch thick.)

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. Though there are transitional examples, the present example has a drier feel more typical of Tembo iron (Saotome examples having a smoother, wetter feel.) The kozuka-ana plugged with, apparently, pewter. Edo period. Good condition with one small scratch (should be easily treatable.) Height 3 3/8 inches (85 cm), Width 3 3/16 inches (81.5 cm), and 5/32 of an inch (4 cm) thick.

A well forged, handsome mokume tsuba in mokko-gata form with katakiri-bori landscape decoration on both the omote and ura. The mokume grain is large and well controlled reminding one of ayasugi hada. In fact, this tsuba is indeed a tosho (swordsmith's) tsuba, being made by [Kai Ju] Kiyonaga and dated the third year of Bunkyo (1863) believed to be the same as KIY 298 referenced in Hawley's, Japanese Swordsmiths. Our angled, side view photographs more accurately portray patina and color as well as the mokume grain. Good condition. 3 5/8 inches (8.4 cm) X 3 3/8 inches (8.1 cm) and 7/32 inches thick (.55 cm) at the raised mimi and about 1/8 inch (.32 cm) thick at the seppa-dai. The raised mimi and no taper across the plate are atypical of traditional tosho tsuba. But the present example being 19th century, and toward the end of the Edo period, allows latitude for creativity. Ex Arnold Frenzel collection. If both sensitivity and strength are conveyed in the smith's blades as they are in this tsuba, I would be tempted to acquire one of his swords.

A simple, four lobed armorer's tsuba with simple pierced decoration perhaps depicting a landscape with structure. The udenuki-ana (cord holes) have the effect of completing the illusion of a Sesshu-like landscape. The saotome were armorers turned tsuba makers who worked in this manner and scale. Good condition with good tekkotsu. Sengoku era. 2 15/16 (7.46 cm) inches x 2 5/8 (6.67 cm) inches

A katchushi mutsu-gata sukashi tsuba. The six lobed, thin plated armorer's tsuba with good tekkotsu and with openwork decoration was described by Skip Holbrook (ex collection) as Saotome made and depicting three birds. The Saotome were a line of armorers (katchu) turned tsuba makers. But I think a case could be made for the sukashi decoration being a wabi-sabi flower bloom or possibly paulownia leaves (rather than awkward looking "birds".) Use of the paulownia (kiri) mon could suggest Yamakichibei as those tsuba makers, from Owari, were outfitting swords for the Oda and the Toyotomi - the latter using the kiri ka-mon. Good condition. 2 7/8 (7.3 cm) inches x 2 13/16 (7.14 cm) inches

An iron, Ko-Tosho (early sword smith's) tsuba. The slightest taper from seppa dai towards rim. Pierced decoration. Purchased from Andy Quirt (ex Skip Holbrook collection) at the February 2016 Tampa show, he thought it depicted gourds. I guess the beholder might see different things. I see Japanese eggplants on leafy vine (two fruit and two leaves) supported by a bamboo trellis. An uncommon and well executed, balanced decoration. The hitsu-ana appears to be original to the tsuba. Late Muromachi. Good condition - has seen some pitting in the past but now stable (chalk it up to tekkotsu, history and character - tekkotsu attractively conspicuous on the rim), well worn to the touch, and with a good, dark patina. 2 7/8" (7.3 cm) marugata. 1/8" (3.17 mm) thick at the mimi. 3/16" (4.47 mm) thick at the seppa-dai.