NH-0704 Rank 297
Tsuba · Kyō-sukashi
Chrysanthemum-shaped openwork iron tsuba with a design of fundō weights linked by rings, unsigned and attributed by its NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper to the Kyō-sukashi school.
Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
Description
Unsigned tsuba, 無銘 (mumei), attributed by its NBTHK paper to the 京透 (Kyō-sukashi) school, the Kyoto tradition of openwork iron guards. The plate has a 菊花形 (kikka-gata) outline, shaped like a chrysanthemum flower, and a rounded 丸耳 (maru-mimi) rim. It is pierced in 地透 (ji-sukashi) with the 分銅輪繋 (fundō-wa-tsunagi) design: a wreath of fundō balance weights alternating with small rings surrounds the seppa-dai, and a band of lobes follows the rim. According to the paper, the iron has a polished surface, 鉄磨地 (tetsu migaki-ji). The photographs show clean, regular piercing with crisp edges and good symmetry. The original seller gives 8.16 × 8.3 cm, 0.61 cm thickness and 110 g, and supplies it in a paulownia box. The photographs show a dark patina that is sound overall, with patches of reddish-brown rust on the reverse beside the seppa-dai and on the inner walls of the openings, and fitting marks (tagane-ato) around the central opening; no cracks or knocks are visible. The paper is 特別保存刀装具 (Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu), no. 2008059, dated 24 December 2021.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper (2021), photographed and legible
- Clean, regular fundō-wa-tsunagi openwork with crisp edges
- Chrysanthemum outline with maru-mimi rim and polished iron
- Both faces and the rim well photographed; paulownia box
Points to bear in mind
- Unsigned: a school attribution (Kyō-sukashi), not a maker
- Patches of reddish-brown rust on the reverse and inside the openings
- Fitting marks (tagane-ato) around the central opening
- The paper does not state a period; the original seller only gives Edo period
Score breakdown
50.5/100
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 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 8.5 of 10 Rank 35 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest