Rare antique Iron Tsuba with engraving cranes, bamboo and other plants painted by gold and silver, vivid and beautiful. The tsuba (鍔, or 鐔) is usually a round (or occasionally squarish) guard at the end of the grip of bladed Japanese weapons, like the katana and its variations, tachi, wakizashi, tantō, naginata etc. They contribute to the balance of the weapon and to the protection of the hand. The tsuba was mostly meant to be used to prevent the hand from sliding onto the blade during thrusts as opposed to protecting from an opponent's blade. The chudan no kamae guard is determined by the tsuba and the curvature of the blade. The diameter of the average katana tsuba is 7.5–8 centimetres (3.0–3.1 in), wakizashi tsuba is 6.2–6.6 cm (2.4–2.6 in), and tantō tsuba is 4.5–6 cm (1.8–2.4 in). Dimensions: 6.3 x 5.5 x 0.5 cm Weight: 87 grams Good condition, there are signs of wear from age and normal use, rust, please also look at the listed photos for a reference. Will be well packaged and shipping by Japan Post in fast delivery.