This iron mokko shaped piece measures 84.5mm(H) X 81.8mm (W) X 3.43mm (T, @nakago ana), 5.08mm (T,@mimi). The piece has an uchikaeshi (upset) mimi and the ishimei (stone) patterned suface is heavily decorated with hot stamps. The iron is excellent, hard and black (similar to what is seen in the highest quality saotome work). The oversized nakago ana (a kantei point for early Tempo school work) has been made smaller with a shakudo insert. There is excellent tekkotsu visible in the mimi.

I'm not sure on the dating on this piece, but my guess is that it was made in the Momoyama to early Edo period (end of the 16th century).

I'm not sure of the theme of this piece, though I've always thought of it as being a storm (due to the chaotic nature lightning hot stamps used as part of the decoration).

This is the best example of tempo work I have ever seen. I actually have owned it twice, buying it back years after I de-accessioned it as I could never find a replacement that was its equal. I'd posit this piece among the earliest tsuba that could be attributed to the Tempo group of tsubako, probably made soon after their style became distinct from pieces made by the Saotome group of tsuba makers (from whom the Tempo group is said to have originated).

For maximum resolution, be sure to set your youtube format options to 1080 - these look downright fuzzy at some of the lower resolution settings :-)

Music credit:
Asian Drums Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/