Kantei

NH-0726 Rank 362

Tsuba · Hizen

Unsigned iron tsuba attributed to Hizen, with the characters of a proverb in relief between petal-shaped openings and fine gold outlines; NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper.

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

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

A mumei tsuba that the NBTHK paper attributes to Hizen province and describes as kotowaza-moji-chirashi-zu: the characters of a proverb scattered across the plate. Of tate-marugata form (round, slightly elongated) in iron, it has eight petal-shaped openings (ji-sukashi) forming a flower around the seppa-dai; the characters sit between them, carved in low relief by sukidashi-bori, while fine lines of inlaid gold (zōgan) outline both the openings and a lobed field. The rounded dote-mimi rim was left in reserve when the ground was cut down. The kōgai hitsu-ana has been filled with a cross-hatched plug, and the central opening retains copper sekigane. The photographs show a dark, stable iron patina with no active rust, the gold lines almost entirely intact and only normal rubbing on the seppa-dai. It measures 8.34 × 8.20 cm, 0.34 cm thick and 111 g, according to the original seller, and comes in an uninscribed paulownia box. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper no. 2011203, dated 20 December 2024.

Strong points

  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper (2024)
  • Uncommon theme: the characters of a proverb in relief
  • Inlaid gold outlines on iron
  • Stable patina with no active rust

Points to bear in mind

  • Unsigned: a school attribution (Hizen), not a maker
  • Copper sekigane in the central opening and a filled hitsu-ana
  • The precise period within Edo is inferred from style; the paper does not state it

Score breakdown

45/100

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 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 of 10 Rank 159 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest