Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Polished shibuichi tsuba showing the Big Dipper in silver and gold among clouds, signed 松下亭知恒 (Shōkatei Tomotsune) with kaō; Kyō-Ōtsuki school, late Edo period.
A nade-kaku tsuba (square with rounded corners) in shibuichi of oboro-gin tone, with a polished migaki-ji ground. On one face, seven silver stars in hira-zōgan (flat inlay), linked by fine gold lines, trace the Big Dipper, the Hokuto shichisei (北斗七星), between bands of horizontal clouds carved in sukibori. The other face carries curling clouds in the same sukibori and the signature on either side of the central opening: 松下亭 (Shōkatei) on one side and 知恒 (Tomotsune) with kaō on the other, cut with a lively stroke. According to the original seller, Ogawa Tomotsune, a native of Iyo Matsuyama, studied under Shōkatei Motohiro of the Kyō-Ōtsuki school, inherited his studio name and later moved to Osaka. The constellation, linked to the cult of Myōken, was regarded as a protector of warriors. The photographs show an even patina and complete inlays; only a few isolated greenish specks and a light mark or two on the rim are visible. It measures 74.5 × 66.3 mm, 3.3 mm thick at the seppa-dai. The original seller declares an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper and a paulownia box, but the certificate does not appear in the photographs.
Strong points
- Full, crisp signature 松下亭知恒 (Shōkatei Tomotsune) with kaō
- Restrained composition of the Big Dipper in silver and gold on polished shibuichi
- Clean hira-zōgan and sukibori clouds on both faces
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper declared by the original seller
Points to bear in mind
- The paper does not appear in the photographs; it rests only on the original seller's declaration.
- A few isolated greenish specks on the surface and light marks on the rim.
- The original seller transcribes the name in English as "Mototsune"; the signature reads Tomotsune.
Score
56.1 / 100
- 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 4.1 of 10 Rank 195 of 330 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest
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.
Details
- Type
- Tsuba
- Maker
- Shōkatei Tomotsune
- Period
- Late Edo (1781–1868)
- Material
- Shibuichi, Silver, Gold
- Paper
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
- Signature
- Signed
- School
- Kyō-Ōtsuki
- Inscription
- 松下亭知恒 花押 (Shōkatei Tomotsune kaō)
- Technique
- Zōgan (inlay), Migaki (burnished), Other technique
- Dating
- Late Edo period (late 18th – 19th century)