A rare silver kinko tsuba
Late Edo Period, 19th century
Of oval form, the silver plate with thick shakudo mimi, carved and inlaid on the face with the hero Hangai carrying a door as his horse bolts, in gold, copper and shakudo takazogan, the reverse engraved in katakiri and kebori with Choryo and Kosekiko, showing the episode of the passing of the shoe, signed on the face Washu Nanto ju, O-Yamaguchi Joyo Suihan, Tsuchiya Yasuchika tei, Otake Hiroshige; on the reverse, Yasuchika.
7.6cm (3in).
Footnotes

The inscription states that the work is by Otake Hiroshige, a pupil of Tsuchiya Yasuchika of Suihan (in Mito city) to the order of a member of the Yamaguchi family, living in Nara (Nanto) in Yamato province.