Need help with antique Japanese sword item - tsuba?

kiona

kiona

Well-Known Member
Silver Stacker
Hi all,

My dad was a collector of everything :) We found these lovely old pieces in a box which I believe are antique Japanese sword accessories, made from brass and copper. We'd like to sell them, hopefully to a collector where they will be appreciated, and we're looking for the correct way to describe them and also a realistic value. I'm way out of my depth here as I really know nothing about this type of item.

I've tried doing a little research and the individual pieces seem to be called tsuba, fuchi and kashira? I think they might possibly be from the Edo or Meiji period?

I also found this on ebay, which looks fairly similar to the largest of the pieces.... https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/232-Japanese-Samurai-Meiji-Antique-Shakudo-Oimatsu-zu-Excellent-Tsuba/382434445249?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

Can anyone please let me know if I'm on the right track or help out with some more info?

Thanks!

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The large piece is called a tsuba (hand guard). I would describe it to a collector as having a kogai (hair and earwax maintenance tool) hole but not a kogatana (small knife as an accessory) hole. The top right is a habaki and the bottom right is a kashira (pommel).
 
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The top right is a not a habaki like I said, I flicked through a book I have and it is (as you have already worked out), a fuchi (collar/ferrule). I've probably been no help, whatsoever.

For what it is worth, my book agrees that the katana (Samurai sword) and the wakazashi (Japanese short sword) were popular in the Edo period, (1603-1876).

It says that making the tsubas became a profession all of its own and many were quite collectible. So your dad might have been onto something if they are real. Probably knew they were not just bits of a broken sword, when he got them.
 
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