Tsuba

The box is made of iron embossed with a hammer, the forging work itself is admirable, it presents a particularity rarely encountered in works of this type, in fact the artist sculpted the trunk of the tree hollow in the iron and forged the branches in relief. The inlays are in shakudo (copper and gold alloy), sentoku (copper alloy) in silver and gilded copper. The details are solid gold. The tree, rocks and plants are admirably drawn and perfectly executed. There is no clumsiness or lack of ta...

18th century Japanese sword iron tsuba made in a shape of two confronting SHU - Japanese flute instruments for use in Shinto ceremony and consisting of bamboo reeds forming a circular wind chamber. The lower parts of the flutes are inlaid with pine designs in gold. Very clever design in Japanese taste, wonderful quality inlay, some rusting as can be seen in photos, great feel of age. Height 2.85 inches (72.4 mm).

Very unusual late 18th to early 19th century Japanese sword bronze tsuba with cloisonne decoration of a dragon and a tiger about to engage in a fight, the back with design of bamboo and flowering prunus. Wonderful pairing of the two most powerful animals, beautiful crisp work, in excellent condition. Comes in kiriwood box. Height 2.79 inches, width 2.77 inches.

Unusually large 18th century or earlier Japanese sword iron tsuba with pierced decoration of three dragons fighting among scrolling vines. Strong early piece with numerous perforations and three dimensional work, crisp detailing, gilding, excellent wear and patina consistent with age. Height 3.63 inches, width 3..44 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.

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.

18th century Japanese sword iron tsuba inlaid with cloisonne flowers, brass scrolls and cloisonne mon (crests) of the Tokugawa clan and containing three aoi (hollyhock) leaves. Strong early piece with very good work, wear and patina consistent with age. Height 3.2 inches, width 3 inches.

18th century Japanese sword iron tsuba with pierced design of “hundred monkeys”, all in different attitudes. Excellent early piece with numerous perforations requiring enormous amount of work, precise detailing, gilded eyes of the creatures, wear and patina consistent with age. Height 2.74 inches, width 2.7 inches.

18th century Japanese sword iron tsuba with pierced design of four roundels with crosses among scrolling vines. Crosses may be namban (Christian) symbols or the mon (samurai family crest) of the Shimazu clan of Satsuma province. Excellent early piece with numerous perforations requiring enormous amount of work, precise detailing, gilding, wear and patina consistent with age. Height 3.06 inches, width 2.71 inches.

18th century Japanese sword iron tsuba with pierced decoration of chi dragons contesting tama (Precious Gems) among scrolling clouds. Strong early piece with numerous perforations and three dimensional work, gilding, wear and patina consistent with age. Height 2.82 inches, width 2.58 inches.

This iron plaque is in a very good condition. Size: Approximately 2 inch (50mm)

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 bronze Japanese sword tsuba with perforated design of Shoki the demon Queller threatening a terrified oni with a sword. Nicely made, pleasant dark patina, in great condition. Height 2.96 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.

18th to early 19th century iron Japanese sword tsuba worked in low relief with a scene of a boy trying to scare an alert tiger. The subject is a legend of Yoko - one of the paragons of filial virtue. Yoko accompanied his father in the mountains, where a tiger sprang upon them. The boy jumped in front of his father, who was thus saved, but the boy was killed by the beast. Mountain waterfall and a gnarled pine on the back. Signed with a kakihan (carved monogram of the artist) on the back (see deta...

18th century good size unsigned iron Japanese sword tsuba with a scene of an egret in a shallow stream with aquatic plants and reeds under a bare willow tree. Elegant design in Japanese taste, bronze and silver inlays with gilded highlights, overall in very good condition. Height 3 5/16 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.

18th to early 19th century iron Japanese sword tsuba inlaid with branches of maple tree with leaves turning yellow and red, roots and cresting waves below, design continuing on the back . Wonderful work with brass and copper inlays, precise detailing and well captured mood of contemplation and autumnal melancholy. The plate has a dark brown patina, overall in great condition. Maple Height 2.84 inches.

19th century iron sukashi Japanese sword tsuba for tanto with design of a turtle with a very long tale. The subject may be a minogame (turtle with a long tail made from seaweed and algae accumulated from many years leaving in the sea) or a directional animal - the Black Snake-Tortoise of the North. Clever design and nice detailed work (see its carapace), a bit of rust, overall in very good condition. Height 2.16 inches.

Iron tsuba in the shape of a chrysanthemum (kikugata), openworked in negative with foliage and geometric patterns.

Chrysanthemum shaped tsuba were quite popular in the Edo period as the flower was considered a symbol of nobility and elegance. Kikugata are often openworked in negative. This creates intricate and delicate patterns that reflect the level of sophistication and refinement of the craftsmen.

Japan – Edo period (1603-1868)
Width: 2.9 in. (7.3 cm)...

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)

18th century or earlier unsigned iron Japanese sword tsuba depicting four scholars and an attendant boy in a bamboo grove. Nicely designed piece with copper, bronze and silver inlays with gilding, old deterioration to both top and bottom part, but the design and detailing is there - see their faves and robe patterns. Great example of early work. Height 3.14 inches.

Iron tsuba inlaid in nunomé zogan (damascened) of gold of different colors. Japanese work from the Edo period 18°-19° century, the artist's signature should give a precise date of creation. The scene finely cut in iron shows us a medieval fight on a bridge, perhaps that of Uji near Nara. The tsubas of the Soten school style are numerous but most often of low quality, the one presented here is superior, neat carving, well drawn subjects, great thickness giving volume to the characters (see the...

18th century Japanese sword iron tsuba with pierced “thousand shrimp” design and brass inlay of twisted rope. Excellent piece with numerous perforations requiring enormous amount of work, precise detailing, dark brown patina, in excellent condition. Height 3.15 inches.

18th century Japanese sword iron tanto tsuba with brass inlays of autumn leaves blown by the wind. Very good piece with gilding, precise detailing and overall mood of contemplation and melancholy. The plate has a dark brown patina, in excellent condition. Height 2.13 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.

18th century iron Japanese sword tsuba with inlaid brass decoration of rice plants with seeds and leaves. Essentially the piece is a wish for prosperity. Superbly elegant design, crisp metalwork, in great condition. Height 2.9 inches.

18th century or earlier iron Japanese sword tsuba with inlaid brass decoration of chrysanthemum flowers. Chrysanthemums (kiku) symbolize royalty, longevity and rejuvenation, and are the Imperial Family Emblem. Wonderful design, in great condition. Height 2.82 inches.

18th century good size iron Japanese sword tsuba with decoration of paulownia leaves and flowers. Paulownia (kiri) is considered to be a Princess tree in Japan and was featured in the crest of the Toyotomi clan, led by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Wonderful design, gold highlights, in great condition. Height 3.4 inches.

18th century or earlier iron sukashi Japanese sword tsuba with pierced decoration of bamboo and plum flowers. They represent two out of the Three Friends of Winter (pine, bamboo and plum) celebrated for the fact that they do not wither as the cold days deepen into the winter season unlike many other plants. Wonderful design, in great condition. Height 2.73 inches.

18th century or earlier iron sukashi Japanese sword tsuba with pierced decoration of gnarled pine trunk and needle clusters - Japanese symbol of good luck and longevity. Powerful design, overall in great condition. Height 3.18 inches.

Cut iron tsuba. Decor of dragons and sacred pearls. Inside the beads, tiny iron balls are mobile. The style is called Namban. This kind of tsuba is little represented without however being rare. But the model presented here is exceptionally of excellent quality. Indeed the blacksmith has cut out his pattern excessively finely like an iron lace. We do not know of a model with such thin wires cut at the extreme limit of the constraints of the metal. Japan early Edo about 1700. Dimensions: 65x2m...

Japanese sword hilt (tsuba) in gold damascened iron (nunomezogan). The metal is finely cut with dragons pursuing the sacred pearl in the Namban style. The pearl is pierced and contains a small movable ball. Japanese work beginning of the 17th century Edo period. Dimensions 72x5mm Good condition.

Very large iron tsuba representing a man riding a giant boar. This illustrates the story of a hunter who to defend his lord during a hunting party jumped on a boar, rode it, sat upside down and stabbed it to death. This brave hunter was called Nitan No Shiro and the action took place around Mount Fuji. The tsuba is in hammered iron, the drawings of the hunter and the boar are incised with a chisel, the hat of Nitan is inlaid in sentoku (copper) some details are in gilded bronze or gold. On the...

Tsuba in shakudo decorated with a floral basket flown over by butterflies. Inlays (Taka Zogan) in solid gold, in fact the flowers are not in gilded copper as usual but in cast solid gold. The nanako background is particularly regular and deep. The artist used gold of two shades, a pure yellow and a pale yellow probably due to the addition of platinum or silver. Anonymous despite the excellent quality. Japan 19th century or before. 76x4mm

Cut iron tsuba. Mysterious motif where two spades appear which should represent spearheads or swords. The tail of Japanese dragons is sometimes depicted in this way. The decor is simple but very elegant. The carving as well as the finish are very neat. Difficult to date with precision. Probably from the Edo period, maybe earlier. Wide: 79mm Thickness: 5mm Good condition