Kantei

NH-0525 Rank 291

Tsuba · Mino school

Mokkō-shaped shakudō tsuba with a nanako ground, openwork kiri-mon and autumn grasses carved in relief with gold on the rim; unsigned, attributed to the Mino school by the NBTHK with Tokubetsu Hozon papers.

TsubaLate Edo (1781–1868)Edo periodNBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Unsigned tsuba attributed by its papers to the Mino school, known for autumn flowers and grasses rendered in shakudō with gold accents. The guard has a four-lobed mokkō shape and is made of black shakudō with an even nanako (fish-roe) ground. Above and below are openwork kiri-mon (paulownia crests), and on either side two cloud-shaped hitsu-ana. Around the rim runs a garland of autumn flowers and grasses (akikusa) carved in takabori relief with gold inlay. According to the original seller it measures 6.43 × 5.93 cm, is 0.33 cm thick at the centre and weighs 83 g, and it comes in a kiri wood box. In the photographs, the front, back and edge show an even black patina, a well-preserved nanako and gold still present on nearly all motifs, with no visible knocks or rust. The NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper, no. 223864, dated 15 December 1998, describes it as mumei Mino, in shakudō with a nanako ground, openwork, relief carving and gold.

Strong points

  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper (no. 223864, 1998)
  • Black shakudō with an even nanako ground
  • Openwork kiri-mon and two cloud-shaped hitsu-ana
  • Rim of autumn grasses in takabori relief with gold
  • Comes in a kiri wood box

Points to bear in mind

  • Unsigned: the paper attributes it only to the Mino school, not to a named maker
  • The paper gives no date; the original seller states only the Edo period
  • The photographs are of modest resolution for judging the fine carving

Score breakdown

50.7/100

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 9 of 25 Attributed to a school only
  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 8.7 of 10 Rank 31 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest