Mark with Japanese Mark: 一柳友寿 "Hitotsuyanagi | #458290

一柳友寿 "Hitotsuyanagi Tomonaga". This mark is from a tsuba and was made by Tomonaga, who worked as a sword engraver (soukenkinkou) in Hitachi Province (present-day Ibaraki 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.