NH-0538 Rank 210
Tsuba · Oka Tomokata (Chōshū)
岡知賢 (Oka Tomokata)
Polished iron tsuba with a dragon amid lightning in sukidashi takabori and zōgan, signed by Oka Tomokata of the Chōshū school, with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers.
Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
Description
Tate-marugata tsuba signed 長州岡知賢 (Chōshū Oka Tomokata), an artist of the Chōshū school, active in Nagato province. The paper titles the piece 雷龍図鐔 (Rairyū-zu tsuba), 'tsuba with dragon and lightning'. A powerful dragon wraps around both faces: the head, claws and tail appear on the front, while the coiled body circles the seppa-dai on the back. It is worked in sukidashi takabori, cutting away the iron ground to leave the relief standing, with each scale chiselled individually. Across the polished iron ground (tetsu migaki-ji) run angular lines inlaid in white metal that depict the lightning. The rim is kaku-mimi ko-niku, square and slightly rounded. According to the original seller it measures 6.91 × 6.42 cm, 0.52 cm thick and 96 g, and it comes in a paulownia wood box. The photographs show a stable dark brown patina with no active rust, the high points of the relief slightly lighter and a few greyish areas on the ground. The NBTHK 特別保存刀装具 (tokubetsu hozon tōsōgu) paper, no. 2010940, dated 26 September 2024, accepts the signature.
Strong points
- Signed 長州岡知賢 (Chōshū Oka Tomokata), signature accepted by the paper
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper (2024)
- Dragon in sukidashi takabori wrapping around both faces
- Lightning inlaid in zōgan on polished iron
- Crisp, well-preserved scales and claws
Points to bear in mind
- The dating comes from the original seller and the style; the paper does not state it
- Patina with some lighter greyish areas and fine scratches on the back
- The paulownia box bears no expert inscription
Score breakdown
55.8/100
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 3.8 of 10 Rank 141 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest