Kantei

NH-0724 Rank 118

Tsuba · Matsuo Ransai

松尾蘭斎 (Matsuo Ransai)

Polished iron tsuba with a phoenix and paulownia in high relief, heightened in gold and silver-toned metal, with a gilt rim; signed by Matsuo Ransai and papered Tokubetsu Hozon by the NBTHK.

TsubaLate Edo (1781–1868)Late Edo period (late 18th – 19th century)NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Iron tsuba of nadekaku-gata shape (a square with rounded corners), signed 松尾蘭斎刀 (Matsuo Ransai tō) on the seppa-dai of the front face, beside the central opening. The theme is paulownia and phoenix (kiri hōō): on the front a perched phoenix spreads its long tail beside a paulownia branch; on the back the phoenix flies above while paulownia blossoms below, beneath gold clouds and small flying insects. According to the paper, the ground is polished iron, carved in sukidashi takabori (high relief obtained by cutting back the ground), with inlay and iroe, and the rim is a dote-mimi reserved from the plate. The photographs show the dark phoenix with feathers and feet picked out in gold, the paulownia leaves in silver-toned metal and the rim covered in gilding. The iron carries a dark, stable patina with no visible active rust; the gold of the clouds is partly worn on the back. The NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper (2025) accepts the signature as that of Matsuo Ransai. Dimensions according to the original seller: 7.85 × 7.12 cm, 0.44 cm thick, 149 g, in a paulownia wood box.

Strong points

  • Signed by Matsuo Ransai, signature accepted by the paper
  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper
  • Phoenix and paulownia in high relief with gold and silver-toned iroe
  • Composition carried across front and back
  • Intact gilt dote-mimi rim

Points to bear in mind

  • The gold of the clouds is partly worn, especially on the back
  • The dating comes from the original seller and from style; the piece is not dated
  • The paulownia box carries no expert inscription

Score breakdown

60.1/100

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 15 of 20 Notable 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 3.1 of 10 Rank 158 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest