Sadanao was a late-Edo era artisan who lived in the Kanda region of Edo. The Bushū school often depicted plants and flowers in this swirling, powerful, yet elegant sukashi style

Iron, round, image of pine trees in sukashi. A robust and rustic tsuba, possibly from a student of the Bushū school, showing pine trees, branches, and trunks, enclosed within a circular rim

Iron, tatemarugata, theme of Yatsuhashi bridge with irises. The theme itself is an old design, recalling Heian times in Japan, and it has been interpreted in many ways on tsuba

The school is possibly Owari, or perhaps Nishigaki. This is an interesting tsuba that is full of character and indeed very, very nice

Iron, marugata, with image of wild goose flying over water with the moon reflected in the waves. Other abstract designs are as yet unidentified, and represent something of a mystery

The leaves could be iris leaves, which are symbolic of the samurai as their long, slender leaves are said to resemble swords, and the word for iris (shōbu) is a homonym for challenge or contest

Iron, marugata, simple sukashi image of flower. Slight amida-yasuri lines radiating out from the center. Done in Katchushi style (katchushi were armor manufacturers who made simple, yet functional tsuba in the Muromachi era

Iron, marugata, carving done in takabori style, depicting a scene from the Three Kingdoms, where Emperor Liu Bei escapes his pursuers by crossing the Tan River

Iron, marugata, openwork design done in Sōten style of what appears to be a Chinese sage with a retainer, and two phoenixes flying overhead. Highlights of gold and silver inlay

The varying carving techniques, as well as the colored metals, draw the viewer’s attention around the tsuba. Excellent condition

Namitoshi was a late Edo era metalworker, working in the Bushū style

Iron, six-lobed mokkō-gata tsuba with of inome (heart-shapes) arranged symmetrically inside of six-sided geometric pattern in sukashi on the inside of the tsuba

A very interesting tsuba that is nice, well-balanced, and in good condition. Not many in this style are found for sale

Iron, maru-gata Yoshirō style tsuba with brass inlay of maple leaves and bamboo, with six roundels of bell flowers in a typical Yoshirō design

A classic Heianjō/Yoshirō style tsuba design from the Edo era

The signature on this tsuba is Masayoshi of Chōshū Province, in the area of present-day Yamaguchi Prefecture

Two spiny lobsters arranged asymmetrically in sukashi inside of a circular rim with hitsu for kōgai and kozuka

Probably an Edo-era Tōshō style tsuba. It features a geometric “screen pattern” (like a Japanese sliding screen)

Pine and crane are often paired as auspicious symbols, particularly symbols of longevity

Iron, oblong shape, image of boar with reeds, with gold inlay in the reeds

Image of Dharma and perhaps the window frame of a temple in sukashi

Openwork, Boars Eye Tsuba signed Nobuie

Iron tsuba, roundshaped with openwork representing a bird flying in front of a full moon partially obscured by mist

Kishu ju Sadanaga w/certificate

Very nice Tsuba signed Echizen ju Kinai saku. Edo period

Oval black iron tsuba with openwork and theme of houses and trees

Sukashi Tsuba with theme of leaning/walking stick, gourd, teaser, gourd and clouds. All symbols of making it to old age and a good retirement

A very beautiful Owari Sukashi Tsuba. Tsuba has large Kuzuka-hitsu-ana and square design Kogai-hitsu-ana. Well-made and has a lovely smotth patina