Inscription: Sekibun (personal signature-seal)
By Katsurano Sekibun
Late Edo period
Donated by the Homma family
Considered a type of sword mount or guard, a tsuba is usually a round (or occasionally squarish) guard positioned at the end of the grip of bladed Japanese weapons.
Katsurano Sekibun (1789–1875) was a master craftsman in the Sakai clan of the Shōnai domain. He specialised in insect, fish and tiger designs, and was a famous blacksmith in the area.