T188.  Iron sukashi tsuba with a paper to Akasaka.  7.3 x 7.6 x .5 cm.  The nakago hitsu-ana is .8 x 2.6 cm.  I really like this tsuba: a very pleasing design well done with a great patina.  The shakudo pillows in the 2 hitsu-ana are another sign that this has been considered special.  This tsuba can be found on Jim Gilbert’s website, about half way down the page, here: http://home.earthlink.net/~jggilbert/akasaka.htm

The paper was issued in 1997 by the NTHK.  $575