Thanks again. Out of curiosity, what would giving the scabbard a 'bit of a facelift' entail? Do you mean the metal components being replaced, or the wood itself? I ask because the wood is actually in beautiful condition, although that doesn't come across so well in the pics.
Here are additional images that I hope are more clear. Regarding the carving of the naga, it does appear to be integral to the blade itself (i.e. it seems as though the blade was forged with the idea of carving this figure). I am not at all familiar with the Tuban blades, and if they would afford enough 'meat' with which to work. I tried to include pictures that show the naga's head as being carved 'in the round' and being properly three-dimensional. Still, I'm eager to hear any additional impressions.
Cheers!
[note - for a sense of scale, the squares on the chess board are 2"x2"]
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