Kantei

NH-0596 Rank 170

Tsuba · Kawa Hidekuni (Tenkōdō)

川秀国 (Kawa Hidekuni)

Shakudō nanako tsuba with geese and reeds in takabori and gold, signed by Kawa Hidekuni of the Kyoto Ōtsuki line, with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu papers.

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

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

A tate-marugata (slightly upright round) tsuba signed 川秀国鐫之 (Kawa Hidekuni kore o horu) on the seppa-dai. According to the original seller, Hidekuni, known by the art name Tenkōdō, was born in 1825, studied under Kawarabayashi Hideoki of the Kyoto Ōtsuki line and succeeded him as head of the workshop. The theme is ashi-kari-zu (reeds and geese): on the front, one goose in flight and another standing among golden reeds beside a stream; on the back, three geese flying over water, five birds in all. The ground is shakudō with a fine, regular nanako laid in concentric circles; the birds are in takabori with gold accents, the water is carved down into the ground, and the rim is finished with a gold fukurin. The photographs show the piece in good condition: crisp nanako, gold intact and a complete fukurin; the seppa-dai shows normal wear from use, and the central opening has copper sekigane. The NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper, no. 2003189, dated 26 February 2016, accepts it as a signed work. Dimensions according to the original seller: 73.1 × 68.4 mm, 4.0 mm thick. It comes in a wooden box with a fabric-lined base.

Strong points

  • Legible signature 川秀国鐫之 (Kawa Hidekuni kore o horu), accepted by the paper
  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper (2016)
  • Fine, regular shakudō nanako in concentric circles
  • Five geese across both faces, in takabori with gold
  • Complete gold fukurin on the rim

Points to bear in mind

  • Copper sekigane in the central opening
  • Wear on the seppa-dai and a slightly duller area on the front field
  • Undated: the period is inferred from the artist's biography

Score breakdown

58/100

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 1 of 10 Rank 206 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest