A large copper tsuba
By Tsuneyasu, Meiji era (1868-1912)
Almost circular with a raised rim, carved and inlaid with the Buddhist disciple Handaka Sonja seated holding a gnarled staff and an alms bowl from which a small dragon emerges on a vapour cloud, the reverse engraved with a fish banner for the Boys’ Festival amid sunbursts and falling petals, signed and dated Tenpo gen kanoe inu (1830) Tsuneyasu; with a lacquer storage box, decorated on the polished black-lacquer ground with mon (crests) in rubbed gold hiramaki-e. The tsuba 10.5cm (4 1/8in), the box 23.5cm x 17.1cm (9¼in x 6¾in). (2).