Well-forged iron plate of round shape (maru-gata) is decorated with water weeds or arabesque (karakusa) in flat brass inlay (hira-zōgan) all over and eight family crests (mon) of round form in cast brass with delicate linear carving (kebori) and openwork (sukashi). Crests represent: [at 9 hours] three counter-clockwise commas or swirls (tomoe); [at 10:30] plum blossom (ume); [at 12:00, 1:130, and 7:30] – stylized flower made by cutting out five suhama symblos (flower-shaped suhama); [at 3:00] bellflower (kikyō); [at 4:30] seven-star crest (shichiyō-mon); [at 6:00] cherry blossom (sakura). Brass-trimmed ryo-hitsu. Copper sekigane.
Yoshirō school. Momoyama or early Edo period, end of the 16th to first half of the 17th century (1574-1650).
Inscription on seppa-dai: 八幡 – Hachiman.
Size: height 89.6 mm, width 89.3 mm, thickness at seppa-dai 3,0 mm. Weight 129.7 g.
NBTHK certificate № 4007685, June 27, 2015: HOZON (Worthy of Preservation).
As for the inscription, Nihonto Message Board blog discussion provides the following explanation of the inscription: “An expression of conviction as to being the best under the sun”. On the other hand, there may be more in this confluence of symbols: the tomoe crest at 9:00 is “the kamon of Hachiman, the war god” [Family Crests of Japan; Stone Bridge Press, Berkeley, CA, 2007, p. 108]. The character 八 in the inscription cut stronger than the other kanji, and may be by a different hand in different time. 八 (hachi, eight): “The numeral eight was appreciated because its shape broadens toward the bottom, symbolizing eternal expansion” [ibid, p. 119]. It may be said that this tsuba is dedicated to Hachiman. Other crests (suhama, bellflower, seven-stars, plum and cherry blossoms) collectively allude to “good old times” when Fijiwara and Taira clans were in full bloom.
Markus Sesko believes that the inscriptions reads: Hachiman: “the inscription is/was HACHIMAN (八幡), the God of War and a relatively popular inscription for tsuba, swords and armor.”
Elliott Long and Robert Haynes provide the following explanation of the inscription: “…hachi is correct and represents the name of the HACHI SHRINE. The inscription reads ‘YAWATA’ which is the name of the mountain in Mino Province where the HACHI Shrine is located”.
Details on Hachiman Shrine in Yawata (八幡市) can be found elsewhere, including Historical and geographical dictionary of Japan by Edmond Papinot.
Van Ham auction house provides the following description: MON-SUKASHI TSUBA. MARUGATA. Japan. Momoyama period. Yoshiro school. Iron with inlays of brass. In hira-zogan technique with kebori engraving eight different family emblems (mon). An old inscription is dedicated to the deity Hachiman. D.4.5mm, Ø 8.3cm. Condition A/B. Supplement: Wooden box and NBTHK certificate.
