Kantei

NH-0535 Rank 133

Tsuba · Tokuoki

篤興 (Tokuoki)

Mokkō-shaped iron tsuba signed 篤興 (Tokuoki), of the Ōtsuki school of Kyoto: a hototogisu in flight beneath a cloud-veiled moon. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper.

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

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Iron tsuba of mokkō shape, signed 篤興 (Tokuoki) on the reverse, beside the central opening. Tokuoki, known as Shinoyama Tokuoki, belongs to the Ōtsuki school of Kyoto; according to the original seller he studied under Kawarabayashi Hidekuni, received the title Ōsumi no Daijō in 1862 and the art name Ikkōsai in 1863. The front treats the theme tsuki ni hototogisu: a lesser cuckoo (hototogisu) in flight, applied in relief in shakudō with gold eye and feet, and a white-metal moon emerging between clouds carved down into the iron. The reverse shows a low-relief mountain silhouette and a small inlaid gold dot. The paper describes the piece as polished iron (tetsu migaki-ji) with sukisage-bori carving, suemon-zōgan and iroe, two hitsu-ana and an uchikaeshi-mimi rim. The photographs show a dark, even and stable patina, crisp relief and intact gilding, with a small sekigane at the top of the central opening and a few isolated spots of stable rust. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper no. 222452, dated 23 April 1996, which records the signature. Dimensions stated by the original seller: 75.8 × 69.7 mm.

Strong points

  • Signature 篤興 (Tokuoki) recorded by the NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper
  • Restrained, poetic composition: a hototogisu in flight beneath the moon and clouds
  • Suemon-zōgan in shakudō with gold accents and finely chiselled plumage
  • Polished iron with an even dark patina and a mountain landscape on the reverse

Points to bear in mind

  • Small sekigane at the top of the central opening
  • A few isolated spots of dark, stable rust on the iron
  • Period and biographical details come from the original seller; the paper does not date the piece

Score breakdown

59.4/100

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 2.4 of 10 Rank 174 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest