T308.  Iron tsuba with brass and copper inlay: Higo.  7.3 x 7.6 x .4 cm.  The nakago hitsu-ana is .85 x 3 cm.  This is a common design in Higo tsuba: some poor slob in a very large hat running through a fierce storm.  Typical for Higo flat black iron and the inlay is perfectly intact (it was never supposed to be continual in every shaft of rain).  One hitsu-ana is plugged with shakudo nanako (nice touch) and there is a shallow scratch or cut (sword cut?) on the lower half of the front.  The hammer work on the plate blends wonderfully with the rain storm: great piece.

This tsuba comes with a fitted box.  $650.