Antique Japanese 17th Century Samurai Signed Tsuba Sword Hilt Openwork Lotis Leaves Gold Inlay Table Holding the ink stick vertically

Holding the ink stick vertically scrape the stick against the wet stone in small circles

5" long by 3" wide

The metal hardware is hand forged iron

With the removeable mirror attached it comes to 21" high (54 cm)

This tool is made of a very hard durable Japanese red oak

Antique Japanese 17th Century Samurai Signed Tsuba Sword Hilt Openwork Lotis Leaves Gold Inlay Table Holding the ink stick verticallyThis is an antique Japanese early Edo period (c. 1596 1700) tsuba (handguard) for a samurai Wakazashi sword. This tsuba is made with typical forged steel and is in the shape of a marugata and has lotus leaves engraved around openwork. Engraved with the sword smiths mei near the nakakgo hitsu ana. This tsuba shows some wear from use. The wear has smoothed down the whole tsuba and removed most of the gold and other metal inlay. There are no tagane ato