Kantei

NH-0715 Rank 369

Tsuba · Kyō-Shōami

Chrysanthemum-shaped iron tsuba pierced with linked fundō weights and accented with inlaid gold lines, attributed by its NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper to the Kyō-Shōami school.

TsubaLate Edo (1781–1868)Edo period (17th–19th century)NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

An unsigned (mumei) tsuba attributed by its NBTHK paper to the Kyō-Shōami school of Kyoto, one of the most prolific workshops of pierced ironwork in the Edo period. The iron plate takes the form of a chrysanthemum flower (kikka-gata) and is worked in ji-sukashi with a design of fundō, balance weights, linked by small rings in two concentric bands around the seppa-dai. Fine lines of inlaid gold (zōgan) follow the outlines of the weights. The rim is kaku-mimi ko-niku, squared and slightly rounded. The original seller gives 7.7 × 7.7 cm, 0.5 cm thickness and 82 g, and supplies it in a paulownia box. The photographs show a dark, stable iron patina with no active rust or cracks; the gold survives only in sections, and the central opening bears the fitting marks typical of use. The Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper, no. 2009796, is dated 14 July 2023.

Strong points

  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper (2023)
  • Paper attribution to the Kyō-Shōami school
  • Even openwork of linked fundō weights in chrysanthemum form
  • Inlaid gold lines on iron
  • Dark, stable patina with no active rust or cracks

Points to bear in mind

  • Unsigned: attributed to a school, not to an individual maker
  • The gold inlay survives only in isolated sections
  • The paper does not date the piece; the period is given only as Edo

Score breakdown

42/100

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.

  1. Maker 9 of 25 Attributed to a school only
  2. Workmanship 10 of 20 Good work
  3. Condition 9 of 18 Visible wear
  4. Period 5 of 12 Late Edo (1781–1868)
  5. Paper 4 of 10 NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
  6. Extras 0 of 5 No complete set by the same maker and no inscribed box
  7. Price 5 of 10 Rank 114 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest