Mark with Japanese Mark: 正村七右衛門作　寛文八年十二月日 | #458004

正村七右衛門作　寛文八年十二月日 "Masamura Nanauemon Kanbun hachinen juunigatsuhi". This mark is from a tsuba and was made by Nanuemon, who worked as a sword engraver (soukenkinkou) in Mutsu Province (present-day Fukushima Prefecture). Soukenkinkou is the Japanese name for metalworkers who design accessories for bladed weapons. A tsuba is a sword guard designed to protect the hand from contact with the blade. It also balances the weight of the sword.