NH-0612 Rank 128
Tsuba · Ichijōsai Hirotoshi
一乗斎弘寿 (Ichijōsai Hirotoshi)
Shibuichi tsuba signed by Ichijōsai Hirotoshi of Mito, showing the poet Rin Nasei, his attendant and a crane in high relief and colour; Tokubetsu Hozon paper.
Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
Description
Tsuba signed 一乗斎弘寿 (Ichijōsai Hirotoshi) with kaō, a metalworker of Mito in Hitachi province, also known as Uchikoshi Hirotoshi; according to the original seller he studied under Tamagawa Yoshinaga. The subject is Rin Nasei (Lin Hejing), the Northern Song poet who lived as a recluse by the West Lake among plum trees and cranes: on the front, the old man beneath a flowering plum, a boy holding a tray of grain and a crane; on the back, rocks, branches and running water. The polished shibuichi plate, of tate-maru shape, is worked in sukidashi-takabori with iroe inlays of gold, silver, copper and shakudō, fine engraving on the robes and a reserved rim (sukinokoshi-mimi); two pierced openings pass through the plate. The photographs show an even patina and crisp relief, with no knocks or rust and only a few faint spots on the surface. It measures 63.8 × 59.3 × 4.6 mm and weighs 89 g, according to the original seller. The NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper, no. 2003565, dated 28 June 2016, confirms the signature.
Strong points
- Signature of Ichijōsai Hirotoshi with kaō, confirmed by the paper
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper
- Rin Nasei scene with expressive figures in gold, silver, copper and shakudō
- Polished shibuichi ground with relief continuing onto the back
Points to bear in mind
- A few faint light spots on the shibuichi surface
- The dating comes from the original seller and the style; the piece is not dated
Score breakdown
59.6/100
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 15 of 20 Notable 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 2.6 of 10 Rank 168 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest