Kantei

NH-0737 Rank 18

Tsuba · Nobuie

信家 (Nobuie)

Iron mokkō-shaped tsuba signed Nobuie, with cherry blossoms, karakusa and kikkō motifs in kebori on a hammered ground. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper.

TsubaMomoyama (1573–1615)Momoyama period (late 16th century)NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Iron tsuba signed by Nobuie, the Owari master whom tradition ranks alongside Kaneie as one of the two great figures of iron tsuba in the Momoyama period. The signature is chiselled beside the central opening; according to the original seller it is of the futoji-mei type (bold-stroke signature). The plate is mokkō-shaped, with four lobes, a tsuchime (hammered) surface and an uchikaeshi (folded) rim. The front shows cherry blossoms, karakusa scrolls and hexagonal kikkō motifs engraved in kebori; the back carries only kikkō motifs in the lobes. Dimensions stated by the original seller: 80 × 77 mm, 5.3 mm thick. The photographs show no active rust or cracks; the copper sekigane in the central opening are the usual ones. The NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper (no. 2000081, 1 May 2012) describes it as 唐草図鐔 (karakusa-zu tsuba) and accepts the signature 信家 (Nobuie). It comes in a wooden box with a silk pouch.

Strong points

  • Nobuie signature confirmed by the NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper
  • Mokkō shape, one of the master's most characteristic forms
  • Cherry blossoms, karakusa and kikkō in kebori on tsuchime iron
  • Intact uchikaeshi rim and no visible active rust

Points to bear in mind

  • Copper sekigane in the central opening
  • The patina looks greyer under strong light than in the paper photograph; best seen in hand
  • The period is inferred from the attribution and style: the paper does not date it

Score breakdown

69.8/100

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 25 of 25 Genuine signature of a first-rank master, confirmed by the paper
  2. Workmanship 15 of 20 Notable work
  3. Condition 14 of 18 Good condition
  4. Period 11 of 12 Momoyama (1573–1615)
  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 0.8 of 10 Rank 210 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest