NH-0522 Rank 157
Daishō tsuba · Tomoyoshi (Chōshū)
友祥 (Tomoyoshi)
A daishō pair of iron tsuba signed 友祥 (Tomoyoshi) with kaō, depicting sowing and ploughing in takabori with touches of gold, silver, shakudō and copper. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper.
Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
Description
A daishō pair of iron tsuba of tate-marugata shape, both signed 友祥 (Tomoyoshi) followed by a kaō, a metalworker of the Chōshū school active in the later Edo period. They depict work in the fields: a farmer ploughing with an ox, sowers and children by the furrows, among mountains, pines, bamboo and thatched houses, in a landscape that runs on from one guard to the other. The carving is sukidashi takabori on iron with a warm black patina, with zōgan and iroe in gold, silver, shakudō and copper on faces, harnesses and foliage, and a sukinokoshi-mimi rim. On the larger guard the kozuka hitsu-ana is plugged with shakudō, on the smaller one the kōgai opening. According to the original seller they measure 77.3 × 72.5 mm (156 g) and 75.3 × 70.5 mm (147 g). The photographs show both faces and the rim in good condition, with no active rust, light wear on the plugs and on some gold touches, and copper sekigane in the central opening of the smaller guard. The NBTHK paper, 特別保存刀装具 (Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu) no. 2011601 of 2025, accepts the signature on both pieces.
Strong points
- Complete daishō pair, signed on both guards
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper accepting the signature on both
- Continuous narrative scene of sowing and ploughing across the pair
- Sukidashi takabori with touches of gold, silver, shakudō and copper
- Iron with a dark, stable patina and no active rust
Points to bear in mind
- Copper sekigane in the central opening of the smaller guard
- Light wear on the shakudō plugs and on some gold touches
- The dating comes from the original seller and the style; the paper does not state it
Score breakdown
58.6/100
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 15 of 20 Notable 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 1.6 of 10 Rank 191 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest