Iron tsuba of round form with design of slanting rays of light (shakoh) or clock gear (tokei) in openwork (sukashi). Commonly considered a Christian / Jesuit motif. Round-cornered rim. Copper sekigane.

Momoyama period: Late 16th century (Tensho/Keicho era).

Height: 72.5 mm, Width: 72.2 mm, Rim thickness: 5.5 mm, Center thickness: 5.3 mm. Round-cornered rim.

Provenance: Sasano collection.

Sasano Masayuki, Japanese Sword Guards Masterpieces from The Sasano Collection, Part I, № 136: “The general belief that this design represents the gear of a clock is erroneous, rather it shows the slanting rays of light from a cross, with the small diamond shapes representing the upright and transverse bars. The Christian influence is obvious…”