Mark with Japanese mark: 如竹 "Jochiku" | #433202

如竹 "Jochiku". This mark comes from a "tsuba", a sword guard designed to protect the hand from contact with the blade and an opposing sword. It was made by Jochiku, who worked as a "soukenkinkou" in the Nara line of the Murakami house. Soukenkinkou is the Japanese name for metalworkers who design accessories for bladed weapons.