Mark with Japanese Mark: 海野義親 "Unno Yoshichika" | #458423

海野義親 "Unno Yoshichika". This mark is from a tsuba and was made by Yoshichika, who worked as a sword engraver (soukenkinkou) in Hitachi Province (present-day Ibaraki Prefecture) for the Un'no 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.