NH-0628 Rank 195
Tsuba · Kanayama
Round pierced iron tsuba with a geometric design of overlapping squares, unsigned, attributed to the Kanayama school by an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper.
Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
Description
Round (marugata) iron tsuba, unsigned, attributed by the NBTHK to the 金山 (Kanayama) school, one of the great workshops of pierced iron tsuba in Owari and Mino provinces. The openwork (ji-sukashi) draws a lozenge inscribed in the circle, crossed by parallel bands that build overlapping squares; the paper describes the motif as kasane-masu, overlapping measuring boxes. Two lobed hitsu-ana open on either side of the seppa-dai (ryō-hitsu-ana). The photographs show iron with a dark, stable patina, the granular surface typical of the school and a thin square rim (kaku-mimi koniku) where some tekkotsu appears. The central opening retains pale metal sekigane, somewhat irregular, and the seppa-dai shows recesses and marks from old fittings on both faces. No active red rust, cracks or knocks are visible. According to the original seller it measures 70 × 70 mm. It comes with NBTHK certificate 特別保存刀装具 (Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu) no. 227791, dated 27 June 2006, which describes it as mumei, Kanayama.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper (no. 227791, 2006) to the Kanayama school
- Geometric design of overlapping squares (kasane-masu) in pierced iron
- Dark, stable patina; granular rim with subtle tekkotsu
- Photographed on both faces and along the rim
Points to bear in mind
- Unsigned: a school attribution, not an individual maker
- Somewhat irregular pale metal sekigane and marks of old fittings on the seppa-dai
- The Momoyama dating is stated by the original seller; the paper does not give a period
- The original seller titles the motif as overlapping pestles (kasane-kine); the paper describes it as kasane-masu
Score breakdown
56.6/100
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 9 of 25 Attributed to a school only
- Workmanship 10 of 20 Good work
- Condition 14 of 18 Good condition
- Period 11 of 12 Momoyama (1573–1615)
- Paper 4 of 10 NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
- Extras 0 of 5 No complete set by the same maker and no inscribed box
- Price 8.6 of 10 Rank 32 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest