Kantei

NH-0609 Rank 212

Daishō tsuba · Yoshiyama Yoshinobu

吉山芳信 (Yoshiyama Yoshinobu)

A daishō pair of shakudō tsuba with auspicious birds in takabori and gold iroe, signed by Yoshiyama Yoshinobu and papered NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon.

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

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

A pair of tsuba for a daishō mounting (one large, one small), both signed on the seppa-dai 越新城住吉山芳信 (Esshinjō-jū Yoshiyama Yoshinobu) with a kaō. Little is known about the maker, according to the original seller, but the paper accepts the signature without reservation. The theme is auspicious birds (zuichō), two on each guard, carved in high relief (takabori) with their long tails in applied gold (iroe). According to the paper, the guards are tatemaru in shape, in shakudō with an ishime ground and a kaku-mimi ko-niku rim. The large one measures 7.50 × 7.15 cm and the small one 7.07 × 6.76 cm, according to the original seller. The photographs show a dark, even patina, intact gold on the tails and no visible damage, although their resolution is low. The original seller dates it to around the 19th century. It comes with a kiri box and NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper no. 2011298, dated April 2025, which certifies the pair as a signed work.

Strong points

  • Complete daishō pair, signed on both pieces
  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper (2025)
  • Shakudō with ishime ground, takabori and gold iroe
  • Auspicious bird theme (zuichō)

Points to bear in mind

  • Little-documented maker, outside the major schools
  • Low-resolution photographs: fine condition cannot be fully judged
  • Period inferred from style and the listing; the paper does not state it

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 145 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest