Iron, kawari-gata, with image of three pine trees in sukashi.
The design of a pine tree is itself uncommon for the Kamiyoshi School, but they did have it as a sketch in their design book and other tsuba attributed to the Kamiyoshi School with a similar pine tree design has been seen. The Kamiyoshi School for the most part favored doing more abstract and stylized designs executed with an extremely refined polished surface. The now closed Japanese Sword Fittings Museum attributed a very similar tsuba to be the work of Fukanobu whom was second generation of the Kamiyoshi School. The direct attribution to Fukanobu was likely made due to very distinct punch mark pattern around the central opening (nakago-ana on the front side of the tsuba) which are very, very similar to the punch marks on this one. He made tsuba and other sword fittings on a full-time basis for the ruling Hosokawa Family in Higo Province modern day Kumamoto Prefecture. He lived from 1798-1851.
References:
- Tsuba Otaku:
https://www.tsubaotaku.com/galleries/tsuba-gallery-5 - Aoi Art:
https://sword-auction.com/en/product/17895/af23244-%E9%8D%94%EF%BC%9A%E7%84%A1%E9%8A%98%EF%BC%88%E7%A5%9E%E5%90%89%E6%B7%B1%E4%BF%A1%EF%BC%89%EF%BC%88%E7%89%B9%E5%88%A5%E4%BF%9D%E5%AD%98%E5%88%80%E8%A3%85%E5%85%B7%EF%BC%89/
Mei/signature:
Mumei
Very likely work of Kamiyoshi Fukanobu (深信)
School/province:
Higo (Kamiyoshi)
Period/age:
Edo 1798-1851
Measures:
7.40 cm x 7.00 cm x 0.50 cm
Certificate:
No
Included:
NO kiri box included
