signed Tsuba for comment
 

Hello,
these is my first attempt in japanese art and to clasify a tsuba.
This is what i found out with my literature (of course it all can be false).
I hope you can comment.

styl: mokkogata
technic: Shoami school
age: ?
crest (mon): family Abe
picture: a ?? flower
inscription: ?

I am sure anyone will do it quite better than me.
I m not worried about hearing nothing of my guesses will be trus, so come on.
regards
Dirk

Is the decoration simply engraved and without the patination that covers the surface, or is it inlaid in gold or some such?

Also, is it really proper to call the Shoami school the technique? Wouldn't that rather be the artistic style/tradition that the design follows, with the technique being something else (such as "shallow line engraving" for example).

decoration
 

Hello,
the decoration is slightly engraved in gold.
The inscription is much deeper, what makes me wonder, maybe this is later ?
How i told it is my first attempt
thanks so far
Dirk

signed tsuba
 

Dirk,
This is a very suspicious item. Mokko refers to 4-lobed so this is NOT mokko-gata. I also would have a hard time calling it Shoami -since it appears to be "soft metal." Actually it looks like brass. The signature is something like Bushu ju MasaSomething, siggesting that it was made in Musashi. BUT, I have a very hard time beleiving that a Japanese cut that signature. It just doesn't look "right."
This would be a good item to put on one or another of the Japanese sword forums.
Peter

Thank you, and yes why is the signature much deeper than the decoartion ?.
May i can ask in a japanese forum, thanks for this idea.
Dirk