Kantei

NH-0602 Rank 211

Tsuba · Hagiya Katsuhira

生涼軒萩谷勝平 (Hagiya Katsuhira)

Upright-oval iron tsuba with twin dragons chasing a jewel, carved in sukidashibori. Signed by Seiryōken Hagiya Katsuhira, with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers.

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

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Upright-oval iron tsuba, signed on the front on either side of the seppa-dai: 生涼軒 (Seiryōken) on one side and 勝平 (Katsuhira) with kaō on the other. The NBTHK paper records the full signature as 生涼軒萩谷勝平 (Seiryōken Hagiya Katsuhira) with kaō. It shows the classic theme of twin dragons chasing the sacred jewel: the dragons rise facing each other along the sides of the plate, with the jewel at the top above the seppa-dai. They are carved in sukidashibori, a relief made by cutting the ground away around the design. The rim is kaku-mimi ko-niku, and both hitsu-ana are plugged with shakudō. In the photographs the iron has a stable dark brown patina with no active rust or visible damage, and the relief and signature are crisp. It has NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu papers, number 228192, issued in 2007. The original seller says it comes in a paulownia wood box and dates it to the end of the Edo period. It measures 8.26 × 7.87 cm and weighs 143 g.

Strong points

  • Signed by Seiryōken Hagiya Katsuhira, with kaō
  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu papers confirming the signature
  • Twin dragons and jewel carved in sukidashibori on iron
  • Hitsu-ana plugged with shakudō; stable patina

Points to bear in mind

  • The original seller transliterates the name as "Hagihara Shohei"; the paper gives Hagiya Katsuhira
  • The photographs are small and do not allow a close look at the patina
  • Undated: the period is based on the maker's working years

Score breakdown

55.7/100

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 10 of 20 Good 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 3.7 of 10 Rank 144 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest