//Muromachi Period (1393 - 1573)
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    Tōshō tsuba with a butterfly and a dragonfly motif. Muromachi period.

    A very large and very thin iron tsuba of round form decorated with design of formalized butterfly and dragonfly in openwork (sukashi). The characteristics of the plate resemble those of Kamakura period ko-tōshō tsuba. However, the design seems too 'modern' to me, but it's hard to tell; it may be a late Muromachi or Momoyama period work. Tōshō or Ko-Tōshō school (or a Katchushi). Muromachi period. However, Boris Markhasin and Skip Holbrook insist this is a 20th-century machine-made tsuba. Dimensions: 99.6 x 100.5 x 2.1 mm. This is what Jim Gilbert says about old tsuba:
    "Traditionally the old iron plate tsuba are classified into Ko Tosho (old sword smith), and Ko Katchushi (old armor maker) styles. It is sometimes difficult to justify attribution of a given tsuba to the Tosho or Katchushi category. Generally guards with raised rims or relatively complex designs tend to be assigned to Katchushi. This is basically a convention we follow out of habit and convenience." [...] "In Token Kai-Shi part six, Articles by Akiyama Kyusaku, Robert Haynes comments: "…from 1300 to 1400 over 150,000 MOUNTED swords were made in Japan for export alone. This means that over four tsuba a day were made for 100 years. This would mean that at least 3000 persons were making nothing but tsuba, let alone all the other fittings needed to complete these swords. With sword smiths, fittings makers and all the other artists need to complete a sword for export, at least 10,000 sword artists were working together, in any one of these hundred years."
    Another tsuba of similar design, Tōshō school, is illustrated in this collection; see TSU-0319.2015. Reference to this design can be found in LIB-1359.2017 Japanese Swords and Tsuba from the Professor A. Z. Freeman and the Phyllis Sharpe Memorial collections, Sotheby's, London, Thursday 10 April 1997; p. 18-19, lot № 37: "A Kamakura-bori Tsuba, Momoyama Period. ...pierced with two large formalised butterflies..."

    A Kamakura-bori tsuba of octagonal form, Momoyama period.

     
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  • Ōnin suemon-zōgan tsuba with design of plants and family crests. Mid Muromachi period.

    Iron tsuba of half round and half lobed (chrysanthemoid) form decorated with plants and family crests (mon) in cast brass inlay (suemon-zōgan), and scattered brass dots inlay (ten-zōgan); brass wire inlay outlining the rim, seppa-dai, and hitsu-ana (scalloped wire) on both sides. Surface treated with hummer punch marks. The chrysanthemoid half of the plate chiseled  with thin shallow grooves, outlining the petals. Copper sekigane. On the face the inlay represents: mandarin orange (tachibana), half karahana, encircled bellflower, and four encircled three-stipe family crest (mitsubiki-mon of Sakuma and Abe clans, and some others). On the reverse the design is similar but two of the mitsubiki-mon symbols replaced with two comb-shaped Genji-mon ideographs. Ōnin school. The end of mid-Muromachi period, beginning of the 16th century. Size: 74.3 x 72.7 x 2.4 mm.  
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  • Ōnin ten-zōgan tsuba with kukurizaru motif. Muromachi period.

    A circular iron tsuba with a design of three monkey toys (kukurizaru) in small openwork (ko-sukashi); the plate further decorated with four rows of brass dot inlay (ten-zogan). The center of the plate and the openings are outlined with brass wire. Copper sekigane. A few dots missing. Muromachi period. Dimensions: 89.0 x 88.2 x 2.9 mm. Kukurizaru was an often used motif on old tsuba. The symbol has two explanations: (1) "upright" monkey, a sort of roly-poly toy, alludes to 'never-ever give up' property of the samurai; (2) monkeys are represented with their hands and feet tied to their back to symbolize self-control. Other examples of the same design:

    The Henry D. Rosin Collection №9.

    Lundgren Collection №7.

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  • Ko-kinko yamagane daisho tsuba with waves motif. Muromachi period.

    Two ymagane tsuba (daisho) with chiseled diaper pattern of waves. The larger tsuba (dai) is of mokkō form with a wide (4.6 mm) polished rim (fukurin?). Water spray is realized in copper ten-zōgan. Size: 75.0 x 71.6  x 3.2 (center), 4.0 (rim) mm. Copper sekigane. The smaller tsuba (sho) is of oval form, without a rim. No inlay. Size: 53.2 x 45.5 x 4.1 mm. Ko-kinko school. Muromachi period. In Kokusai Tosogu Kai; 5th International Convention & Exhibition, 2009 on page 51 under № 5-U8 there is a piece from George Gaucys collection, described as follows: Unsigned Tachi-Kanagushi tsuba, Yamagane base. Nami (wave) motif. Circa: Muromachi period (15th century). 6.88 x 6.81 x 0.45 (rim), 0.36 (center). The classic wave form is typically seen in Muromachi period tosogu. The patina is rich and rustic, which presents history and warmth. This tsuba may be interpreted as either tachi-kanagushi or ko-kinko work. Early tachi tsuba were symmetrical in design and also not very sophisticated, Design elements filled in up to seppadai as the waves do in this tsuba. There is a simple fikurin of the same metal and it is flat to the plate. On the ko-kinko side, the crests of the waves show more complexity than tachi works and less symmetry. A very intriguing tsuba from late Muromachi period."

    Kokusai Tosogu Kai 5th, 2009, p. 51, № 5-U8: ko-kinko or tachi-kanagushi tsuba.

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  • Ōnin ten-zōgan tsuba. Muromachi period.

    An iron tsuba of 12-lobed form with alternating four solid and four openwork areas, each with a central bar. Symbolism remains unclear, possibly - a gunbai, i.e. military leader's fan. The solid parts decorated with 5 to 6 rows of brass dots of nail heads inlaid in ten-zōgan. The center of the plate as well as the sukashi elements are outlined with brass wire. The kozuka-hitsu-ana seems original. Muromachi period. Dimensions: 77.9 x 77.5 x 3.2 mm.
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  • Heianjō suemon-zōgan tsuba with bamboo and kukurizaru motif. Late Muromachi period.

    Iron tsuba of four-lobbed mokkō form (possibly it was circular and then altered to produce the mokkō) with slightly raised rim decorated with three kukurizaru ('tied up monkey' toy) in openwork (sukashi) next to kogai-hitsu-ana; inlaid in red-ish copper (suaka) with the design of bamboo stems and leaves, and shapeless masses which most probably represent snow. Kozuka-hitsu-ana plugged with shakudo. Probably original kogai-hitsu-ana. Copper sekigane. Surface still covered with lacquer (urushi). Late Muromachi period (1514-1573). Size: 86.1 x 85.8 x 2.6 mm NBTHK Certificate №4002543: Hozon - "Worthy of preservation" (Attribution: Mumei Heianjō Zōgan)
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  • Kagamishi tsuba with design of fruits and leaves. Muromachi period or earlier.

    Circular form tsuba made by a mirror-maker, i.e. kagamishi. Cast yamagane plate with design of six persimmons on their peduncles surrounded by leaves. Slightly raised rounded square rim. Hitsu-ana is brutally cut later in time. Copper sekigane. Early Muromachi period (1393-1457) or earlier. The inscription on the box reads: "Kamakura or Muromachi Period. Yamagane Tsuba". Dimensions: 81.9 x 81.6 mm; thickness at seppa-dai 2.8 - 3.0 mm, rim 3.4 mm.
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  • Shingen tsuba with yamagane core and woven copper wire pattern. Muromachi period.

    Tsuba of chrysanthemoid form (kikka-gata) with yamagane core and woven copper wire pattern. Copper sekigane. Shingen school. Height: 70.2 mm; Width 67.2 mm; Thickness at seppa-dai: 3.4-3.6 mm, overall 7.3 mm. Weight 82.7 g Inscription on the wooden box reads: "Muromachi period Mumei Zōgan Shingen Tsuba" Muromachi period, 16th century. Age attribution is based on the fact that the core is made of yamagane; later copies of Edo period are usually made of iron. This small and light tsuba was likely mounted on a combat sword, while larger and much heavier woven wire Shingen tsuba of Edo period were of purely decorative purpose. http://varshavskycollection.com/shingen-tsuba/
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  • Kyo tsuba with a bridge and iris motif, late Muromachi period

    Kyo school iron tsuba of round form decorated with an eight-plank bridge (yatsuhashi) and irises (kakitsubata) in openwork (sukashi).

    Late Muromachi period, Tenbun era (early 16th centiry).

    Dimensions: 80.0 x 77.2 x 4.1 mm.

    The design alludes to the scene in 'Ise Monogatari', where Ariwara no Narihira being exiled from Kyoto to the Kanto region crossed the eight-plank bridge at Mikawa looking at the irises in bloom and composed a poem expressing his desire to return to Kyoto. A lot of tsuba have been produced with the similar design.

    Reference: Masterpieces from the Sasano collection, 1994, p. 98, №69.  
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  • Heianjō-zōgan tsuba with design of rotten skull, fly, and boar. Momoyama period.

    Iron tsuba of four-lobbed mokkō form decorated in brass and shakudō inlay on the face with design of rotten skull, fly, maple leaf, pine cones and needles, and on the back with design of rotten skull, wild boar, pine cones and needles. Scattered brass dots on both sides. Hitsu-ana possibly cut off later. Surface has traces of lacquer (urushi). Momoyama period. Dimensions: 67.3 x 61.5 x 4.3 mm A similar example can be found at Tsuba Kanshoki by Kazutaro Torogoye, 1975 on p. 61: "Heianjōzōgan tsuba. No sig. Iron: Pine-cone, seeds, ants & rock, brass zōgan. Kakumimi: C. 1.5 bu. Age: Momoyama. Sup. - Early work. Interest."

    Tsuba Kanshoki, 1975, p. 61: Heianjō tsuba, Momoyama Period.

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  • Heianjō tsuba, carved and inlayed with rocks, plants, and waves. Muromachi period.

    Heianjō tsuba, carved and inlayed in brass with a somewhat primitive design of rocks, plants, and waves, and a man in a boat beside two jakugo stone baskets on the face and a religious structure (stupa, grave stone) on the reverse. Muromachi or Momoyama period.

    Size: 83.2 x 82.4 x 3.6 mm; 149.2 g

    The Carlo Monzino Collection of Japanese sword fittings and swords (Sotheby's, London, 18 June 1996. p. 12-13) №9 provides an illustration of the similar tsuba with the following description: Heianjo tsuba, carved and inlayed with rocks, plants, and waves, also pierced with a jakago [sic] (stone basket).

    Gary D. Murtha in his Japanese sword guards Onin - Heianjo - Yoshiro (GDM Publications, 2016) on page 53 shows a look-a-like tsuba (though, with a kogai-hitsu-ana) with the follwoing description: Iron, 77 mm, tsuba with brass tree, snake, jakugo baskets, and curved brass pieces (representing water flowing over rocks). Buddhist halo to reverse. Although showing Onin traits, a Shoami Heiamjo attribution would fit better. Azuchi-Momoyama period.

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  • Brass hira-zōgan iron tsuba with design of vines and thunder. Muromachi or Momoyama period, 16th century.

    Iron tsuba of round form with dam-shaped rim (dote-mimi) pierced with hitsu-ana and two udenuki-ana (probably cut later on) decorated in flat inlay (hira-zōgan) with vines and symbols of thunder or lightning (possibly - family crest, mon). Hitsu-ana and nakago-ana with copper sekigane.

    Ōnin or Heianjō school, or, possibly Kaga or Umetada school. Momoyama period or earlier (Muromachi), 16th century. Unsigned.

    Size:  64.5 x 63.8 x 2.2 (center), 4.2 (rim) mm.

    Provenance: Lundgren Collection: [Japanese sword-fittings and metalwork in the Lundgren Collection. Published by Otsuka Kogeisha Co., Ltd., Tokyo 1992], №31; The Lundgren Collection of Japanese Swords, Sword Fittings and A Group of Miochin School Metalwork. Christie's Auction: Tuesday, 18 November 1997, London. Sales "GOTO-5881". Christie's, 1997, №2. Lundgren's description at Christie's: Heianjo tsuba. Unsigned. The circular plate decorated in brass hirazogan with flowers, plants and symbols of thunder, dote mimi and udenuki ana, late Muromachi period (16th century). Tokyo 1992 description: Sword guard with design of flowering plants and frets in inlay. Unsigned. Heianjo inlay school. 6.35 x 6.3 cm, thickness of rim 0.40 cm. Iron. Flat brass inlay. Muromachi-Momoyama Period, 16th century. Provenance: The Second John Harding. A somewhat look-a-like pieces can be found in various catalogues. The one in Naunton Collection, №172, is signed: Umetada of Yamashiro: "Iron, small, almost circular, with raised oval rim, inlaid all over with leaves and scrolls in brass hirazōgan."

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  • Ōnin/Heianjō suemon-zōgan tsuba with Wheel-of-the-Law motif. Muromachi period, ca. 1500

    Iron tsuba of round form represents an eight-spoke Wheel-of-the-Law and in the same time (because of the inner shape of cut-outs) - a sixteen-petal imperial chrysanthemum in openwork (sukashi). Decorated on both sides with vines, leaves, and tendrils in suemon-zōgan and sen-zōgan. Spokes and hitsu-ana decorated with rope-like linear brass inlay (nawame-zōgan). A somewhat look-a-like tsuba is referenced in Gary D. Murtha's Japanese Sword Guards. Onin-Heianjo-Yoshiro book on page 61. Mr. Murtha attributes his piece to Heianjo school of Azuchi-Momoyama or early Edo period. However, tsuba in this collection looks older and bolder than the one in his book. It is larger (84 mm vs. his 66 mm), the spokes are longer, the inlay is of better quality, it is relatively thin, with deep black patina, and with the traces of lacquer (urushi). This may indicate that this tsuba belongs to Ōnin school and dates at least to late Muromachi period, ca. 1550, if not 1450 AD. Mid to late Muromachi period (ca. 1450-1550). Dimensions: 84.3 x 83.2 x 3.2 mm "In Japan, the Wheel-of-the-Law is an attribute of such deities as  Senju Kannon, the Thousand-Armed Kannon, and Dainichi Nyorai, the principal deity of Shingon Buddhism [Merrily Baird]. May be used as a family crest (mon).

    Gary D. Murtha's tsuba on page 61.

     
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  • Iron tsuba with a design of bracken and paulownia in openwork. Muromachi period, 16th century.

    Iron tsuba of round form decorated with a design of bracken scrolls and paulownia leaves and blossoms (kiri-mon) in openwork (sukashi). Details carved in kebori. Squared rim with iron bones (tekkotsu). Hitsu-ana plugged with shakudō.

    Size: 83.6 x 82.9 x 5.4 (center), 5.1 (rim) mm.

    Unsigned.

    Muromachi period, ca. 16th century.

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  • Ōnin suemon-zōgan tsuba with design of foliage and family crest. Late Muromachi period.

    Iron tsuba of round form inlaid with brass and shakudo (suemon-zōgan) with a design of tendrils, leaves, double gourds, and folding fan with two wild geese on the face and the same design only with a fan with two interlocked rings (wachigai) on the back. Design is supplemented with a round family crest (mon) of three fans in openwork (sukashi). Hitsu-ana and the mon are outlined with brass rope. Copper sekigane.

    Some attribute such tsuba as belonging to Heianjō or even Yoshirō School, and date them to Momoyama period. I keep this piece under Ōnin rubric, late Muromachi, but this is just a question of personal preference.

    Some inlay is missing, some repaired; traces of rust. Otherwise - decent condition.

    Late Muromachi period (1514-1573). Size: 77.4 x 77.1 x 3.8 (center), 3.2 (rim) mm
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  • Ko-kinko yamagane tsuba with waves and rabbit motif. Muromachi or Momoyama period.

    Ko-kinko ymagane cast tsuba of mokko form (kirikomi-mokkō-gata) with chiseled diaper pattern of double head waves on both sides and a rabbit cast and carved with its eye inlaid in yellow metal (gold or brass) on the face. Fukurin which holds together the sandwiched layers of metal (sanmai) is about 2.4 mm wide. A look-a-like tsub of oval form instead of mokko-gata  is illustrated at Robert E. Haynes's Catalog #3,1982 on page 11, lot 15: "Rare design in style of Sanmai (three layers) / Wasei work. With yamagane core and heavy rim cover. The web plates are carved with double head Goto style waves and the face has a fox. The web plates were riveted at the seppadai.  See Lot 4, page 8. Ca. 1350. Ht. 6.6 cm, th. 3 mm" [underscore mine]. Quality of photo is so poor that I decided not to provide it here. Muromachi (if we follow Robert) or Momoyama period. The Momoyama attribution is mostly based on a fact that "waves and rabbit" motif became most popular in Momoyama times. Size: 68.5 x 59.8 x 4.0 mm. NBTHK Certificate № 423120. This tsuba is listed at Yakiba website with the following passage: "Attributions as well as dating of this type of tsuba has been the subject debate over the years. There are those who believe these type of tsuba to be ko-Mino (early Mino School) tsuba, others believe them to be tachi-kanaguchi tsuba. Still others insist they are simply ko-kinko (early soft metal) tsuba. This tsuba was authenticated and determined to be "Ko-Kinko" by the NBTHK". Oval form tsuba with the same design can be found in this collection - TSU-0323.

    TSU-0323. Ko-kinko yamagane tsuba with waves and rabbit motif.

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  • Ōnin ten-zōgan tsuba with design of lake and rudder. Muromachi period.

    Iron tsuba of octafoil form with design of rudder (kaji) and lake in openwork (sukashi) outlined with brass wire. Thin plate also decorated with three concentric circular rows of brass dots (nail heads) in ten-zōgan. Center of the plate outlined with the inlaid circular brass wire. Cut-outs for kozuka and kogai probably added later.  Slightly raised rim between the indentations (suki-nokoshi-mimi). The inlaid metal of red-ish hue, so it may be copper, not brass. Sekigane, visible on the NBTHK paper photo, are missing, possibly removed by a previous owner. Muromachi period. Ōnin school. Unsigned. Dimensions: 81.2 mm x 81.8 mm x 2.7 mm. Weight: 79.0 g. Large nakago-ana: 34 mm high and 10 mm wide. NBTHK certificate №455786: Hozon. Note regarding design: it was quite hard to interpret the big oval opening. The first suggestion was 'sea cucubmer', and it was based on a design published by Kazutaro Torigoye [Kodogu and tsuba. International collections not published in my books (Toso Soran), 1978] on page 202: Katchūshi tsuba: Sea cucumber and butterfly. Look and judge yourself:

    Torigoye: sea cucumber and butterfly.

    The second suggestion - 'lake' - came from [Iron tsuba. The works of the exhibition "Kurogane no hana", The Japanese Sword Museum, 2014], page 14 №5:

    Ko-Katchūshi tsuba: Lake and pine.

    Opening on my tsuba looks more like the 'lake'. Also, rudder and lake make more sense than rudder and sea cucumber. At least to me...    
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  • Ko-katchūshi tsuba with design of gorintō, heavenly objects, cloud, snowflake, and Genji-mon. Mid Muromachi period, 15th century.

    Iron tsuba of round form decorated with design of moon, stars, cloud, snowflake, gorintō, and Genji-mon in negative openwork (in-sukashi). Raised tubular rim (dote-mimi). Deep black patina, traces of lacquer. Naka-daka type of plate (thicker in center, getting thiner towards the rim). Visible gap between the rim and the plate. Dimensions: Height: 91.7 mm; Width: 90.8 mm; Thickness at seppa-dai: 2.5 mm, plate before rim: 2.2 mm, of the rim: 5.6 mm. At least Mid Muromachi period, 15th century, but possibly earlier. In 'Silver Book', commenting tsuba №34 Sasano writes: "The technique used to create the rim is the same used for the peak (koshimaki) of helmets (kabuto) during the Kamakura and Nanbokucho periods." On the other hand, the abundance of sukashi elements points towards later times, perhaps late Muromachi or even Momoyama period. "Gorintō is a grave stone composed of five pieces, piled on one the other, representing, from the bottom upward, earth, water, fire, wind, and heaven, respectively" [Nihon Tō Kōza, Volume VI, Part 1.  AFU, 1993, p. 6. / LIB-1554]. A romantic description of the piece may look like this: The air is scented (incense symbol); it's a graveyard, marked by gorintō; a winter (snowflake) evening or night (moon, stars); mist is rising from a ravine towards moon. I did not manage to find a katchūshi piece of this design, only a few Kamakura-bori tsuba:

    100 selected tsuba from European collections. Catalogue by Robert Haynes and Robert Burawoy, 1984, page 16, №5.

     

    Japanese Sword Fittings. Collection of G.H. Naunton, Esq., by Henri L. Joly, - 1912; №9.

    While the upper tsuba is dated the end of Muromachi, the lower is attributed to the 17th century - Momoyama or early Edo period, though the author put this attribution under question. Deciphering of the strangely shaped opening to the left of nakago-ana is sometimes "a conventional scroll", and sometimes - a fern or bracken. I think mine is a cloud or mist, but I don't have any material evidence to prove this understanding, and I came to a conclusion based only on context. It may easily be dinosaurs playing ball. The fact that this thing always accompanies the Genji-mon, or incense symbol, it may be a scent itself.
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