Star of David Tsuba - c. 17th century

In 1492 the Jews of Spain were exiled from the country. The dispersion occurred all over a wide swath along the Mediterranean. East to France, Germany, even Italy. South to the northern rim of Africa. And West to Portugal. There, an ancestor of the family that owned this Tsuba, came to settle. Two generations later, a son was part of the Portuguese sailors that traded back and forth to Japan. He married a local woman (and here the story splits into two versions among the family members) he either became a samurai OR a merchant. The Star of David Tsuba (one of 2 that I have acquired) was part of his wakizashi and has come to us after a journey of almost 500 years!