Kantei

NH-0483 Rank 194

Tsuba · Tomohisa (Chōshū)

友久 (Tomohisa)

Pierced iron tsuba with log rafts and cherry blossoms (hana-ikada), signed by Tomohisa of Hagi, Chōshū school, with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu papers.

TsubaLate Edo (1781–1868)Late Edo period (late 18th – 19th century)NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Iron tsuba of the Chōshū school, signed on the seppa-dai 長州萩住友久作 (Chōshū Hagi-jū Tomohisa saku), "made by Tomohisa, living in Hagi, Chōshū province". The subject is hana-ikada: log rafts lashed with bamboo poles drifting down a river among cherry blossoms, a seasonal motif much loved in the Edo period. The plate, of aoi-mokkō shape, is worked in modelled relief (nikubori) with a pierced ground (ji-sukashi): the bark and knots of the logs and the petals are rendered in detail, the stamens are set with inlaid gold dots, and small gold-toned bindings mark the poles. The rim is of mitsumune-mimi type. According to the original seller it measures 7.87 × 7.32 cm, 0.47 cm thick, and weighs 101 g. The photographs show a dark, even patina with no active rust or cracks and crisp relief; the central ana carries copper sekigane above and below. The NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper, dated 24 March 2026, describes the piece as a pierced hana-ikada tsuba and records Tomohisa's signature without reservation. It is kept in a paulownia box.

Strong points

  • Full signature 長州萩住友久作 (Chōshū Hagi-jū Tomohisa saku), accepted by the paper
  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper (2026)
  • Hana-ikada theme of rafts and cherry blossoms in nikubori ji-sukashi
  • Stamens picked out with inlaid gold dots
  • Stable dark patina and crisp relief

Points to bear in mind

  • Copper sekigane in the central ana, usual for a mounted tsuba
  • The dating comes from the original seller and the style; the paper does not state it
  • Tomohisa is a Chōshū school craftsman, not a first-rank master

Score breakdown

56.7/100

The score shares out 100 points: Maker 25 · Workmanship 20 · Condition 18 · Period 12 · Paper 10 · Extras 5 · Price 10. It is computed from the record, not from an opinion. Maker, workmanship, condition and period are judged from the photographs and the paper; price is compared only with fittings of the same type.

  1. Maker 19 of 25 Genuine signature of a known maker or school
  2. Workmanship 10 of 20 Good work
  3. Condition 14 of 18 Good condition
  4. Period 5 of 12 Late Edo (1781–1868)
  5. Paper 4 of 10 NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
  6. Extras 0 of 5 No complete set by the same maker and no inscribed box
  7. Price 4.7 of 10 Rank 122 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest