Kantei

NH-0547 Rank 123

Daishō tsuba pair · Masatsugu (Bushū)

正次 (Masatsugu)

A daishō pair of iron tsuba signed 武州住正次 (Bushū-jū Masatsugu), carved with a flowering cherry tree and scattered gold petals. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper for one of the two.

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

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

A daishō pair (large and small) of iron tsuba of tate-marugata shape, both signed beside the central ana 武州住正次 (Bushū-jū Masatsugu), an artisan of the Bushū school who, according to the original seller, worked in Edo. The theme is a cherry tree in full bloom: blossoms, buds, leaves and branches in sukidashi-bori relief, with stamens and leaf veins in fine kebori, encircle the seppa-dai like a garland, with small openings (ko-sukashi) pierced between the branches. Loose petals of inlaid gold seem carried by the wind, and the profile photographs show the rim (mimi) covered in gold nunome. The iron has a deep blackish-brown colour and a textured surface recalling tree bark. The photographs show both pieces on both faces and at an angle: stable patina, no active rust or cracks; the gold petals are intact and the gold on the rim keeps much of its pattern. The NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper (no. 223105, 13 August 1997) describes an iron tsuba with a cherry tree, sukidashi-bori, ko-sukashi and gold nunome, and records the same signature. According to the original seller, the paper covers only the small tsuba: the pair is said to have been divided in an inheritance, the smaller one submitted alone, and the two later reunited. A paulownia box (kiri-bako) is included.

Strong points

  • Complete daishō pair, both tsuba bearing the same signature 武州住正次 (Bushū-jū Masatsugu)
  • Flowering cherry tree carved in relief, with fine kebori and inlaid gold petals
  • Gold nunome on the rim of both pieces
  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper, visible in the photographs
  • Iron with a stable dark patina, no visible active rust

Points to bear in mind

  • The Tokubetsu Hozon paper covers only one of the two tsuba (the small one, according to the original seller); the large one has no paper of its own
  • The separation and later reunion of the pair is a statement by the original seller and is not recorded on the paper
  • The dating comes from the original seller and from the style; the paper does not state it
  • Some areas of the ground show brownish tones and the gold on the rim is partly worn

Score breakdown

59.9/100

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 2.9 of 10 Rank 162 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest