Kantei

NH-0718 Rank 146

Tsuba · Tomoyuki (Chōshū)

友之 (Tomoyuki)

Polished iron tsuba with two horses beneath a willow in relief and an inlaid rim, signed 長州萩住友之作 (Chōshū Hagi-jū Tomoyuki saku), with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper.

TsubaLate Edo (1781–1868)Late Edo period (late 18th century)NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

An iron tsuba of tatemaru-gata shape, signed on the obverse 長州萩住友之作 (Chōshū Hagi-jū Tomoyuki saku): the work of Tomoyuki, a craftsman of the Chōshū school who worked in Hagi, Nagato province. The subject is two horses beneath a willow (ryūju sōku-zu): on the obverse, two galloping horses under the hanging branches of a willow beside a rock; on the reverse, the branches continue over a landscape of gentle hills in low relief. The ground is polished iron (tetsu migaki-ji), worked in sukidashi-bori relief, and the rim carries an inlay of yellow metal (zōgan-mimi), as the paper describes. The photographs show a dark, stable patina with the natural texture of the iron and a few small surface spots, with no visible cracks or knocks; the central opening retains its sekigane. The NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper, issued in 2022, accepts the signature as genuine. Dimensions according to the original seller: 7.50 × 7.37 cm, 0.41 cm thick, 123 g. It comes in a wooden box.

Strong points

  • Signed by Tomoyuki of Hagi, Chōshū school, signature accepted by the paper
  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper (2022)
  • Two galloping horses in lively relief beneath a willow
  • Composition continuing on the reverse with hills and branches
  • Rim with intact inlay of yellow metal

Points to bear in mind

  • Sekigane in the central opening, usual on a tsuba
  • A few small spots of stable rust on the reverse surface
  • The dating comes from the original seller and the style; the paper gives no date

Score breakdown

59/100

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 19 of 25 Genuine signature of a known maker or school
  2. Workmanship 10 of 20 Good work
  3. Condition 14 of 18 Good condition
  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 7 of 10 Rank 70 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest