Mark with Japanese Mark: 額川保国 "Nukagawa Yasukuni" | #458381

額川保国 "Nukagawa Yasukuni". This mark is from a tsuba and was made by Yasukuni, 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.