NH-0617 Rank 226
Tsuba · Masatomo (Chōshū school)
政知 (Masatomo)
Iron tsuba signed by Masatomo of Hagi, Chōshū school, with thunderclouds in relief and kebori lightning; NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper.
Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
Description
Iron tsuba signed 長州萩住 政知作 (Chōshū Hagi-jū Masatomo saku), the work of Masatomo, a craftsman of the Chōshū school living in Hagi, Nagato province. The theme is 雷雲図 (raiun-zu), thunderclouds: scrolling clouds carved in sukidashi-bori relief surround the seppa-dai on both faces, trailing undulating wisps of wind, while zigzag lightning and raimon meanders are drawn in kebori across the ground. The shape is tate-marugata with a square, slightly rounded rim (kaku-mimi ko-niku); according to the original seller it measures 6.98 × 6.82 cm, is 0.52 cm thick and weighs 123 g. One of the hitsu-ana is filled with a plug of dark metal cut in the shape of a cloud. The photographs show a dark, stable iron patina, with the high points of the clouds slightly lighter from handling and a few small spots on the rim, with no active rust or cracks visible. The NBTHK paper, 特別保存刀装具 (tokubetsu hozon tōsōgu) no. 2011924, dated 18 December 2025, records the Masatomo signature. It comes in a plain paulownia box without inscription.
Strong points
- Full signature 長州萩住 政知作 (Chōshū Hagi-jū Masatomo saku), recorded by the paper
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper issued in 2025
- Thunderclouds in sukidashi-bori relief on both faces, with kebori lightning and raimon
- Iron with a dark, stable patina and no visible active rust
Points to bear in mind
- One of the hitsu-ana is filled with a cloud-shaped plug of dark metal.
- The period is stated by the original seller; the paper does not specify it.
- The high points of the clouds show light wear from handling.
Score breakdown
54.8/100
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 2.8 of 10 Rank 164 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest