Kantei

NH-0490 Rank 111

Tsuba · Masatomi (Chōshū)

政富 (Masatomi)

Iron tsuba signed by Masatomi, sixth master of the Okada house of Hagi, carved in relief with a Chinese landscape of pavilions and mountains. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper.

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

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

A round (maru-gata) iron tsuba, signed on the seppa-dai 長州萩住政富作 (Chōshū Hagi-jū Masatomi saku). Masatomi, commonly called Hikobei, was the sixth master of the Okada family of Hagi in Nagato province, one of the leading houses of the Chōshū school. According to the original seller, he retired in 1821 and died in 1849. The subject is a Chinese landscape with pavilions (rōkaku sansui-zu). The front shows pagodas and temples on crags, a figure beside a grotto and a boatman poling across the lake. The back shows mountains, a waterfall, a pine and a traveller crossing a bridge. The photographs show sukidashi-bori relief with a reserved rim (sukinokoshi-mimi), clouds and water in fine kebori lines, and a composition that works the seppa-dai and the single hitsu-ana into the scene. The iron keeps a blackish-brown patina, with stable reddish areas on the back and no visible knocks or cracks. The NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper (no. 2009435, 2023) accepts the signature. The tsuba also comes with a Nihon Tōsōgu Kenkyūkai certificate (2020), which calls it a "meitsuba". Dimensions stated by the seller: 73.5 × 72.0 mm; 4.6 mm at the seppa-dai; 116 g.

Strong points

  • Genuine signature of Masatomi, sixth master of the Okada house of Chōshū, accepted by the paper
  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper (2023)
  • Chinese pavilion landscape spread across both faces
  • Meticulous sukidashi-bori carving of roofs, rocks and foliage
  • Additional Nihon Tōsōgu Kenkyūkai certificate calling it a "meitsuba"

Points to bear in mind

  • The back shows reddish areas of surface rust that appears stable
  • The Nihon Tōsōgu Kenkyūkai certificate is not an NBTHK paper
  • Dimensions and weight are as stated by the original seller

Score breakdown

60.3/100

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 15 of 20 Notable 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 3.3 of 10 Rank 153 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest