An iron tsuba, the hand guard of a Japanese sword, cut in sukashi openwork with gold and silver and a stirrup motif. It is unsigned and sized for a katana. It is sold used.

Stirrups are a motif tied to the mounted warrior, and in openwork iron they read clearly against the light. The gold and silver on this guard are the accents that lift it above a plain iron piece. Because it is katana sized, it can go into a remount of a full-length sword as well as being kept as a standalone collectible. For a Montana collector of tosogu this is a classic subject in a classic material. The supplier lists no signature, so attribute it by style rather than by name, and keep the iron dry to hold its surface. Check the photographs for the seppa-dai and hitsu-ana if you intend to fit it to a blade.

Key features

• Iron tsuba, sukashi openwork
• Gold and silver, stirrup motif
• Unsigned
• Katana sized
• Used

The tsuba ships to your door in Montana.