NH-0489 Rank 190
Tsuba · Chōshū Hisatsugu
久次 (Chōshū Hisatsugu)
Openwork iron tsuba with pine trees among bands of mist, signed by Hisatsugu of the Chōshū school, with an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu certificate.
Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
Description
Iron tsuba of nadekaku shape (square with rounded corners) from the Chōshū school, signed on the front 長州萩住久次作 (Chōshū Hagi-jū Hisatsugu saku), that is, "made by Hisatsugu, resident of Hagi in Chōshū province". The theme is pine and mist (kasumi): horizontal bands of mist cross the guard and, between them, pine branches are carved in modelled relief and pierced (nikubori ji-sukashi), with the needles engraved in fine lines and a rock with a granular surface at the bottom. There are two hitsu-ana, one of them cloud-shaped, and a square rim of low volume. The photographs show a dark, stable iron patina on both faces and on the edge, with light wear on the high points, no active rust, cracks or knocks, and no sekigane. The original seller gives dimensions of 7.63 × 7.36 cm, 0.43 cm thickness and 114 g, and places it in the late Edo period. It comes with its NBTHK kanteisho as Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu, dated March 2026, which records the signature without reservation. It is presented in a paulownia wood box.
Strong points
- Legible signature of the maker, confirmed by the NBTHK certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu certificate from 2026
- Pierced and carved pine trees among bands of mist, with engraved needles
- Dark, stable iron patina with no active rust
- Both faces and the edges well photographed
Points to bear in mind
- The dating comes from the original seller and from the style; the certificate does not state it
- Light wear on the high points of the rim and the relief
- Small yellowish-brown mark inside the central opening
Score breakdown
57/100
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.
- Maker 19 of 25 Genuine signature of a known maker or school
- Workmanship 10 of 20 Good work
- Condition 14 of 18 Good condition
- Period 5 of 12 Late Edo (1781–1868)
- Paper 4 of 10 NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
- Extras 0 of 5 No complete set by the same maker and no inscribed box
- Price 5 of 10 Rank 115 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest