Mark with Japanese Mark: 玉川美精 "Tamakawa | #458314

玉川美精 "Tamakawa Yoshikiyo". This mark is from a tsuba and was made by Yoshikiyo, who worked as a sword engraver (soukenkinkou) in Hitachi Province (present-day Ibaraki Prefecture) for the Tamakawa house. 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.