This tsuba is a cut from a typical Bizen Shōami butterfly tsuba (see TSU-0100 in this collection), which normally would have had a circular rim around the butterfly. In this particular example of altered guard we have both eyes of the insect (inlaid in brass or copper) intact. The kebori carving is more pronounced than in TSU-0100 example. Copper sekigane.

Unsigned.

Attributed to Bizen Shōami school, early Edo period (17th century).

Dimensions: 64.7 x 63.7 x 5.2 mm

References: see TSU-0100.