Type: Tsuba Material: Iron, shakudo inlay, silver and gold nunome-zogan Estimated Age: Late Edo period (19th century) Signature: Unsigned Mass: 152.9 g
This heavy iron tsuba features a flowers and blooms rendered in silver and gold nunome zogan inlay. The flowers have mostly worn away, but their remnants remain a striking visual contrast to the dark iron. The hitsu-ana for the kogai has been filled in with an inlay of solid shakudo, and remains beautiful and tightly fitted.
The surface shows moderate wear and several areas where the inlay has partially lifted or been lost, particularly along the upper rim and around the seppa-dai. The tsuba remains structurally sound, though there is some pitting and minor oxidation consistent with long-term storage. Despite these imperfections, the piece retains strong aesthetic integrity, with traces of gold providing a subtle but elegant contrast against the subdued iron ground.
