Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Round pierced iron tsuba, unsigned, depicting the battle of Ichi-no-Tani in gilt and coloured high relief; the original seller states a Tokubetsu Hozon paper to the Hikone school.
An unsigned (mumei) round iron tsuba, presented by the original seller with an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper attributing it to the Hikone school. The subject is the battle of Ichi-no-Tani (1184): on the front, armoured horsemen with a banner charge down the slope among pines, above golden clouds and temple roofs; on the back the scene continues with a mounted warrior, pines and a pavilion with lattice windows. The photographs show deep sukashi combined with takabori, figures in iroe of gold, silver and copper, and kebori on the pine needles and roof tiles. The rim and the edge carry a border of asanoha and lozenges in gold nunome, repeated on both faces; both hitsu-ana are outlined in gold. The iron keeps a dark brown patina, with reddish surface areas inside the openings; the gilding is essentially intact, with light wear on the high points of the figures. Copper sekigane sit in the central ana. It measures 92.5 × 92.5 × 5.4 mm according to the original seller. The paper does not appear in the photographs.
Strong points
- Battle of Ichi-no-Tani developed across both faces
- Sukashi and takabori with iroe of gold, silver and copper
- Gold nunome border on the rim and edge
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper stated by the original seller
Points to bear in mind
- Unsigned: attribution to the Hikone school according to the original seller; the paper is not shown in the photographs
- Copper sekigane in the central ana
- Reddish surface areas on the iron inside the openings
Score
44.4 / 100
- Maker 9 of 25 Attributed to a school only
- 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 2.4 of 10 Rank 251 of 330 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest
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.
Details
- Type
- Tsuba
- School
- Hikone
- Period
- Late Edo (1781–1868)
- Material
- Iron, Gold, Silver, Copper
- Paper
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
- Signature
- Unsigned (mumei)
- Technique
- Sukashi (openwork), Takabori (high relief), Iroe (coloured inlay), Zōgan (inlay), Nunome (damascening), Kebori (line engraving)
- Dating
- Late Edo period (late 18th–19th century)