Tsuba: Shingen
Signature/mei: mumei
Material: iron (core), brass
Era/jidai: Edo
Dai – Dimension(h/w/d): 86.0 x 86.0 x 4.3 mm
Sho- Dimension(h/w/d): 71.0 x 7.0 x 5.1 mm
Certificate: NBTHK Hozon (2018 – Daisho Shingen)
Comes in an old custom fitted box
Price: not available
Shingen tsuba are famous for their braided wire. They are often made of iron or at least have an iron core (like this pair) with a soft metal surface. The name comes from the warlord “Takeda Shingen,” who is said to have been particularly fond of this design.
Shingen tsuba of this quality are hard to find, and even rarer as daisho. The fukurin of the sho are somewhat different and more detailed than those of the dai, yet the NBTHK has collectively referred to them as daisho in the hozon certificate.
Since they are mounted together in an old, custom-made box, it seems as if they have been together for a long time.
