An Antique Japanese Samurai Horse Bit or Kutsuwa - Bit415

This bit is made of iron, its surface is dark and a little pitted, but it is in a very stable condition.
It has a single jointed mouthpiece, the cheekpieces have cross bars and a split loop which would have suspended the bit from the headstall.
The bit has simple circular rein rings.
There are no makers marks or stamps, so dating this bit is difficult, it is probably 18th or 19th century, but this design can be seen in much earlier bits.

Mouthpiece 10.2cm (4")
Cheeks 13.5cm (5¼") maximum length
Weight 512g (1lb 2oz)