By Kamiyoshi Fukanobu
Late Edo period
Donated by Homma Norio
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. Tomoe — commonly translated as “comma” — is a comma-like swirling symbol used in Japanese crests; the mitsutomoe refers to three of these set in a three-armed swirling spiral design.
Kamiyoshi Fukanobu (1786–1851) was a swordsmith from Higo Province (present-day Kumamoto Prefecture). The Kamiyoshi family became swordsmiths during the late Edo period, and Fukanobu was part of the second generation of swordsmiths.