Tsuba or sword guard of shibuichi, a patinated alloy of silver and copper, depicting Liu Hai (J: Gama Sennin) with his toad in gold inlay: Japan, by Otsuryuken Masayuki, c. 1750

Tsuba or sword guard of shibuichi, a patinated alloy of copper and silver, with two white herons in silver, reeds in gold and a stream: Japan, Ishiguro School, by Masayoshi, 1764-1852

Tsuba or sword guard of shibuichi, with a tang aperture, Daruma arriving at Japan on a bamboo leaf, welcomed by a deity, and a waterfall on the reverse: Japan, 1700 - 1750, by Yanagawa Naomasa

Tsuba or sword guard of shibuichi (patinated alloy of silver and copper), with only a kozuka hitsu, and with a dragon and Mt Fuji, Miho-no-Matsubara on reverse, Hamano style: Japan, made by Hakuryo, 19th century

Tsuba or sword guard of shibuichi, with design of Han Xin (J: Kanshin) crawling through the legs of the braggart, and gold, shakudo and silver inlay: Japan, by Ichinomiya Nagatsune, 1719 - 1786

Tsuba or sword guard of shibuichi, a patinated alloy of silver and copper, with three sages in a bamboo grove: Japan, Omori School, made by Teruhiko Orando, early 19th century

Tsuba or sword guard of shibuichi, with only a kozuka hitsu, with the Soga brothers in a storm about to avenge their father by killing his murderer, Kudo no Suketsune, and an enclosure fence on the reverse, gold, silver and copper inlay: Japan, Hamano School

Tsuba or sword guard of shibuichi, an undulating form, with the Abura Bozu or Oil Thief episode, and a lantern on the reverse, in copper and gold: Japan, Hamano School, made by Naochika

Tsuba or sword guard of shibuichi or copper silver alloy backed with sentuko or brass, mokko shape, with a pair of manzai dancers, and an Okina mask: Japan, Hamano School, by Hata Nobuyoshi

Tsuba or sword guard of shibuichi, nearly circular, with an engraved design of a landscape with a man in the rain: Japan, 19th century

Fuchi (sword ring) and Kashira (pommel cap), both of shibuichi, fuchi with a dragon head, kashira with Seishin-o-Fujin holding a lute on a dragon, both inlaid with gold: Japan, Omori School, made by Chikuzanken Motoshige

Fuchi (sword ring) and kashira (pommel cap), both of shibuichi, fuchi with a pine tree and a rivulet, kashira with Han Shan (J: Kanzan) and Shi De (J: Jittoku), both with touches of gold: Japan, made by Yoshinori

Fuchi (sword ring) and kashira (pommel cap), both of copper, fuchi with a mouse and a fan, kashira with a hanging scroll and a mouse, both in shibuichi and gold: Japan, Nara School, probably made by Yasuchika

Fuchi (sword ring) and kashira (pommel cap), both of shibuichi, fuchi with clouds and lightning over a sea in silver and gold, kashira with Raijin the thunder god and his drums in shakudo and gold: Japan, Hamano School

Fuchi (sword ring) and Kashira (pommelcap), both of shibuichi, with crested waves and gold spray-dots, part of a set with a tsuba: Japan, signed by Omori Teruhide, 1729 - 1798

Kozuka or small knife handle of shibuichi with gold, with a view of Lake Biwa with the Ukimido pavilion at Katata, wild geese flying in to land, boats returning to Yabase, the old pine tree of Karasaki, Mounts Hira and Ishiyama, and Mii-dera temple: Japan