| This Tsuba is featured in the book 'Tsuba-shusei ［鍔集成］as titled “Koubunboku byTadafusa, a disciple of Akasaka third generation. The Tsuba-shusei is a catalog of tsuba (sword guards) authored by Nakamura Tessei ［中村鉄青］ in 1963 (Showa 38). This book, spanning 522 pages, featured renowned pieces and private collections of the time and was published in a limited edition of 1,000 copies. Koubunboku is an elegant name for the plum tree. It originates from an ancient story about Emperor Wu of Jin: when he devoted himself to learning, the plum blossoms bloomed; when he grew lax, they did not. The name was also used for a tea house built in Kairakuen Garden by Lord Nariaki of Mito. It is mumei, but attributed to Tadafusa. He was a disciple of Masatora (正虎)/Tadatora（忠虎）, the third generation of of Akasaka. It has passed the Hozon Tosogu shinsa in August 2025. |
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