NH-0591 Rank 225
Tsuba · Nara Kozaemon
奈良小左衛門 (Nara Kozaemon)
Round iron tsuba signed by Nara Kozaemon, showing Shōki on a bridge with an oni hiding among the piers, in takabori with gold accents. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper.
Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
Description
Round (maru-gata) iron tsuba signed 武刕江戸住奈良小左衛門作 (Bushū Edo-jū Nara Kozaemon saku), by Nara Kozaemon of the Nara school working in Edo. The subject is Shōki, the demon queller, standing on a bridge while an oni hides among the piers below: Shōki, in high relief on the obverse, strides forward with his weapon over his shoulder, while the oni, pierced between the piers, appears on both faces, giving the design an accomplished play between obverse and reverse. The carving combines takabori and nikubori with a pierced ground, and the details — eyes, headdress, cloud pattern of the robe, footwear — are inlaid in gold (zōgan iroe). The rim is fitted with a dark metal fukurin. The photographs show a dark, granular iron patina of original appearance with no active rust, and well-preserved gold; there are copper fillings in the central opening, as is customary. The original seller gives dimensions of 8.18 × 8.13 cm and a thickness of 0.49 cm. It comes with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper no. 2009929, dated 10 October 2023, which records the signature.
Strong points
- Signed by Nara Kozaemon, signature recorded by the paper
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper (2023)
- Narrative composition continuing on both faces
- Takabori with pierced ground and gold details
Points to bear in mind
- The period is estimated from style; neither the paper nor the signature dates it
- Copper fillings (sekigane) in the central opening
- No photograph of the rim edge
Score breakdown
54.9/100
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.
- 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 2.9 of 10 Rank 163 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest