Single-Owner Collections

A Japanese oval shaped circular iron tsuba, probably Edo period, with sukashi type openwork decoration, comprising two gourd-like motifs over a subtle naturalistic landscape field, unsigned, 8cm x 9cm. Provenance: the collection of the late Roald Knutsen (1933-2025). Note: Roald and Patricia Knutsen’s research suggested this is possibly Myochin school, mid-16th century.

A Japanese circular iron tsuba, Edo period, with sukashi style decoration, finely detailed to both faces with a dragon clawing its away around the circumference, signed to centre, diameter 8cm. Provenance: the collection of the late Roald Knutsen (1933-2025). Note: possibly Owari type work. Roald and Patricia Knutsen identified the signature as Umetada.

A Japanese shaped oval iron tsuba, probably Edo period, with damascened gilt metal decoration to both faces, detailed with bundles of tied kindling sticks and white metal inlaid cherry blossom petals, signed to centre, 9cm x 10cm. Provenance: the collection of the late Roald Knutsen (1933-2025). Note: unusual slightly dished form, possibly Myochin type. Roald and Patricia Knutsen identified the signature as Nobuie.

A fine Japanese shaped oval iron sukashi style tsuba, probably late 16th/early 17th century, decorated in the Owari style with stylized fine-cut pierced border with flower-like motifs, 6.5cm x 7cm. Provenance: the collection of the late Roald Knutsen (1933-2025). Note: these Owari type tsuba were produced in the Owari province and often decorated in this taste.

A Japanese shaped oval iron sukashi style tsuba, Edo period, decorated simply to the borders with three openwork rock-like formations within water, unsigned, 6cm x 6.5cm. Provenance: the collection of the late Roald Knutsen (1933-2025). Note: probably 17th century.

A Japanese shaped oval iron tsuba, Edo period, part-decorated with shakudo style inlay of gilt metal and copper highlighting a mountainous landscape scene with a temple and a pagoda, unsigned, 7.5cm x 8cm. Provenance: the collection of the late Roald Knutsen (1933-2025). Note: probably 17th century.

An unusual Japanese oval shaped iron tsuba, Edo period, in the form of an eggplant, indistinctly signed to the centre, 6.7cm x 6.7cm. Provenance: the collection of the late Roald Knutsen (1933-2025); ex Basil Robinson Collection, plate 63. Note: Roald and Patricia Knutsen identified the signature as Odawara-Ryu, probably Owari province, late 17th/early 18th century.

A Japanese shaped oval iron tsuba, probably late 16th century, with part-openwork gourd-like motif decoration, unsigned, 7.4cm x 7.8cm. Provenance: the collection of the late Roald Knutsen (1933-2025). Note: Roald and Patricia Knutsen attributed this to probably a deshi of Nobuie of Myochin-Ryu, late 16th century.

A Japanese circular iron sukashi tsuba, Edo period, with pierced decoration in the form of mushrooms growing in a mountainous valley landscape under a waning moon with three finely pierced horizontal cloud lines, signed, diameter 7.5cm. Provenance: the collection of the late Roald Knutsen (1933-2025). Note: Roald and Patricia Knutsen identified the signature as Inshu (No) Ju Suruga-Saku, who worked for Inaba-Ke, 17th-18th century.

A Japanese circular iron tsuba, Edo period, with fine three-dimensional openwork border, detailed with monkeys climbing playfully through clouds, damascened with gilt metal highlighted features, unsigned, diameter 7cm. Provenance: the collection of the late Roald Knutsen (1933-2025). Note: probably 18th century.

A Japanese near-circular iron sukashi tsuba, probably mid-16th century, pierced with a turtle-like creature to the border with interspaced cellular designs to the field, signed, 6.5cm x 6.8cm. Provenance: the collection of the late Roald Knutsen (1933-2025). Note: Roald and Patrica Knutsen identified the signature as Nobuie of Myochin-Ryu, probably mid-16th century.

A Japanese shaped oval iron sukashi tsuba, Azuchi–Momoyama/Edo period, decorated with a mountain landscape with lake, unsigned, 7.5cm x 8.3cm. Provenance: the collection of the late Roald Knutsen (1933-2025); purchased from Tom Gregory 1957. Note: dated by Sensei Ozaki Nobushige as 16th-17th century and noted as being the tsuba mounted on Roald Knutsen’s personal katana.

A fine Japanese circular iron and shakudo-inlaid steel sukashi tsuba, Edo period, decorated with reeds and possibly water chestnuts over a hammered finish ground, signed, 7.5cm x 8cm. Provenance: the collection of the late Roald Knutsen (1933-2025). Note: Roald and Patricia Knutsen identified the signature as Kane-Ie and Yamashiro-No-Kuni Ju, who worked in Fushimi, Kyoto, around the 17th century.

A Japanese circular steel and pierced-decorated iron sukashi tsuba, probably late Muromachi period, the border with openwork motifs, unsigned, diameter 7.6cm. Provenance: the collection of the late Roald Knutsen (1933-2025). Note: Roald and Patrica Knutsen attributed this to Nobuie of Myochin-Ryu, noting that it is typical of his work.

A Japanese shaped oval iron sukashi tsuba, probably late Muromachi period, the part-pierced border with wheel-like motif within a part-foliate background, unsigned, 6.5cm x 7.5cm. Provenance: the collection of the late Roald Knutsen (1933-2025). Note: Roald and Patricia Knutsen attributed this to Nobuie of Myochin-Ryu, noting that it is typical of his work, probably first part of the 16th century.

A Japanese shaped oval iron sukashi tsuba, probably late Muromachi period, with design to field of a famous warrior’s maxim ‘In Movement Quietness, In Quietness Movement’, signed, 7cm x 7.5cm. Provenance: the collection of the late Roald Knutsen (1933-2025). Note: Roald and Patricia Knutsen identified the signature as Nobuie of Myochin-Ryu, probably first half 16th century.

A fine and unusual Japanese iron sukashi tsuba, Edo period, of squared rounded form with two arrangements of five vertical and four horizontal strokes, signed to the centre, diameter 8cm. Provenance: the collection of the late Roald Knutsen (1933-2025). Note: Roald and Patricia Knutsen identified the signature as Tetsuzin, probably 18th century, the design being of the Shugendo Mikkyo, a prayer (in stylized visual form) for empowerment and protection by Marishi-Ten, the war deity worshipped by many warriors and especially Kenshi in the Bugei.

A Japanese russet iron sukashi tsuba, Edo period, of shaped oval form with line-border edge detailing and plain field, with two piercings intended for a cord himo to pass through, creating a loop for the wrist of a swordsman, 7.7cm x 8.3cm, mounted within a fitted wood display box. Provenance: the collection of the late Roald Knutsen (1933-2025). Note: detailed by Roald and Patricia Knutsen as one of a pair, made for or by a master swordsman. Roald notes that this one was from Kobe and the other was purchased in the UK. This example from Kobe was mounted on Roald Knutsen’s personal katana and was gifted to him from Ozaki Nobushige’s collection in 1976.

A fine Japanese oval iron tsuba, Edo period, with intricate heavily pierced and finely worked field, detailed to both faces with two dragons clawing their way around the circumference with heads meeting and turning away from one another, with gilt metal damascened highlights, signed, 6.5 x 7cm. Provenance: the collection of the late Roald Knutsen (1933-2025). Note: Roald and Patricia Knutsen identified the signature as Masahisa.