Kantei

NH-0539 Rank 318

Tsuba · Kyō Kenjō

Pierced iron tsuba with the Yatsuhashi theme and kakitsubata irises in gold nunome, unsigned and attributed by an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper to the Kyō Kenjō school.

TsubaMid-Edo (1688–1781)Mid-Edo period (late 17th – 18th century)NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Unsigned iron tsuba attributed by its NBTHK paper to the Kyō Kenjō school, a group of Kyoto metalworkers known for combining openwork with fine gold inlay. The subject is Yatsuhashi, the eight plank bridges of Mikawa from the Ise monogatari: the planks zigzag around the seppa-dai in in'yō openwork (positive and negative), among clumps of kakitsubata irises drawn in gold nunome zōgan that covers both faces entirely. The shape is tate-marugata with a kaku-mimi ko-niku rim, itself gilded. The original seller gives 69.4 × 65.0 mm, 4.5 mm at the seppa-dai and 82.7 g. The photographs show both faces and the rim: the gold on the field is almost entirely preserved and crisp, and the iron of the seppa-dai has a dark, stable patina; on the rim the gold is rubbed in several places, revealing the iron. The Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper, no. 2011393, dated 1 April 2025, describes it as a pierced Yatsuhashi tsuba, mumei, Kyō Kenjō. The original seller places it in the mid-Edo period and declares a paulownia box.

Strong points

  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper (no. 2011393, 2025)
  • Literary Yatsuhashi theme with kakitsubata irises
  • Gold nunome covering both faces entirely
  • Clean, well-composed in'yō openwork of the planks
  • Gold on the field almost intact

Points to bear in mind

  • Unsigned: attributed to a school only, not to a maker
  • Gold on the rim rubbed in several places
  • The period comes from the original seller and the style; the paper does not state it

Score breakdown

49.2/100

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 7 of 12 Mid-Edo (1688–1781)
  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 5.2 of 10 Rank 109 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest