Six tsuba (sword guards) Edo period (1615-1868), 17th to 19th century All of iron, the first circular, pierced and chiselled with a paulownia crest, signed Esshu no ju Akao Jinzemon no jo; the second rounded rectangular, pierced perhaps with a tsurigane (Buddhist hanging bell), with two udenukiana openings, signed Esshu no ju Akao; the third irregular rounded rectangular, with an applied shakudo rim, chiselled with 48 radial ridges and with leaf motifs, with two udenuki-ana openings, signed Saotome [...]; the fourth nearly circular, pierced and chiselled with an abalone shell, signed Echizen no ju Kinai saku (Made by Kinai of Echizen [Province]); the fifth elongated mokko outline, roughly hammered and stamped with Chinese characters, the kogai-ana with a patterned gilt plug; the last almost circular, pierced and chiselled with a sake kettle. The smallest: 7.1cm (2 13/16in); the largest: 8cm (3 1/8in). (6).