Type: Tsuba Material: Iron with gold and copper inlay Signature: Unsigned Mass: 71.2 g
A charming and somewhat whimsical mokko-gata (four-lobed) iron tsuba featuring two small snails inlaid in gold and copper crawling across a textured ground. The snail is an uncommon but appealing motif in sword fittings.
The tsuba is forged from well-patinated iron with a distinctive hammered texture (tsuchime-ji) and finely worked inlay details. Each snail shell is formed in shallow relief, with spiral grooves hand-chiseled into the iron plate, and their bodies rendered in mixed-metal zōgan (copper and gold inlay). The coloration of the metals remains strong, particularly the copper bodies, which stand out warmly against the dark iron. The plate itself is well-balanced, showing moderate wear and oxidation consistent with age but no major structural issues. The textured waves carved into the surface of the iron evoke a fertile soil along which the snails crawl.
