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Antique Japanese Iron Tsuba, Soten School - People & Pine Trees, Signed

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:225.00 USD
Antique Japanese Iron Tsuba, Soten School - People & Pine Trees, Signed
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Antique Japanese Iron Tsuba, Soten School - People & Pine Trees, Signed. Nice small round iron sukashi tsuba with gold rim, typical of the Soten School of tsuba design. The theme is a man with a fan standing under a roof, with pine tree branches and needles surrounding him; the reverse has a small man near the pine tree trunk and rocks. The men have copper faces with gold-inlaid designs in their kimonos. Pine branches and needles have small gold inlaid highlights. There is a solid gold rim applied to the outer edge of the tsuba that has carved and raised designs, like rain drops or cat scratches. There are kozuka and kogai anas (holes) on either side of the nakago that are filled with gold plugs having the same carved and raised designs as the rim. The pierced designs are well executed and carved. There is a multi-character signature covering both sides of the seppa dai area around the nakago ana (tang hole) front and back. There is a copper sekigane inside the nakago ana, showing this tsuba has been fitted to several swords over its lifetime. The tsuba measures 74mm round. Condition is excellent for its age, the iron with a nice dark patina, with some light rust speckling in the recesses. There are minor losses to the gold inlays on both sides and light wear to the copper faces of the men. Circa mid-18th to mid-19th Century. Includes a wood storage box. Est.: $450-$600.