Knife Handle (Kozuka) with Blade Depicting Maples, Arabesques, and Patterns () probably 18th-19th century Japanese The entire obverse and the edges of the kozuka are decorated with a gold inlay (nunome-zgan) of maples (using gold of different qualities/hues) with arabesques which are embedded into a linear design, with the butt end of the handle being interpreted in the form of a kojiri (butt cap) of a sword scabbard.Kaga province was home to a group of sword fitting makers which focused on decorating iron with a flush inlay, mostly gold. This group, which consisted of several local lineages plus certain Got masters working in Kaga in that very style, and their works are referred to as Kaga-zgan (lit. "Kaga inlay"). The Tanba no Kami Yoshimichi lineage was founded at the very beginning of the 17th century in Kyto and flourished for nine generations until the end of the Edo period. By the middle of the 17th century, the lineage branched out into an saka-based branch which