Tsuba · Nobuie

Description

Tsuba signed 信家 (Nobuie), who, together with Kaneie, is one of the two great masters of the iron tsuba of the Momoyama period. The original seller describes the signature as of the so-called “hanare-mei” type. The four-lobed mokkō plate is hammered and punch-marked iron, and an uchikaeshi-mimi rim can be seen all the way round. On the front, which bears the signature, a dragon among clouds is engraved in kebori and covers the whole plate. The back shows chrysanthemums and kiri leaves on a stippled ground. The paper describes it as 雲龍菊桐図鐔 (unryū kiku kiri-zu tsuba), 木瓜形 (mokkō-gata), 鉄槌目地 (tetsu tsuchime-ji), 毛彫 (kebori), 刻印打込 (kokuin uchikomi) and 打返耳 (uchikaeshi-mimi). The original seller gives 85.5 × 78.3 mm and a thickness of 5 mm, which is large for this maker. The photographs show a dark, stable iron patina, with wear highlights on the raised areas and no active rust. The hitsu-ana carry later gold-coloured metal fillers, and there are sekigane in the central opening. The piece has NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper no. 2001754, dated 1 July 2014, which accepts the signature. It comes in a brocade-covered box.