Kantei

NH-0744 Rank 311

Tsuba · Kyō-sukashi

Round iron tsuba in openwork depicting the Yatsuhashi, the eight-plank bridge, attributed by the NBTHK to the Kyō-sukashi school, with Tokubetsu Hozon papers.

TsubaLate Edo (1781–1868)Edo period (according to the original seller)NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Unsigned tsuba, 無銘 (mumei), attributed by the NBTHK paper to the 京透 (Kyō-sukashi) school, the openwork makers of Kyoto. The round iron plate is pierced in fine lines that draw the Yatsuhashi, the eight-plank bridge associated with irises in classical literature: zigzag planks cross the upper and lower areas, leaves fan out on both sides of the central opening and four small winged figures enliven the composition. The paper describes it as marugata, 鉄地 (tetsuji, iron ground), with ground openwork and a 角耳小肉 (kaku-mimi ko-niku) rim. The photographs show the front, back and rim: dark, stable patina, no visible active rust and the openwork intact; slight roughness on the seppa-dai and small metallic spots at the edge of the central opening can be seen. According to the original seller it measures 8.23 × 8.18 cm, with a rim thickness of 0.45 cm and a weight of 74 g, and it comes in a paulownia box. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper no. 2010495, dated 26 March 2024.

Strong points

  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper
  • Classical Yatsuhashi theme in fine openwork
  • Kyō-sukashi school, the openwork makers of Kyoto
  • Dark, stable iron patina

Points to bear in mind

  • Unsigned: a school attribution, not a named maker
  • Period not specified by the paper
  • Slight roughness and metallic spots near the central opening

Score breakdown

49.7/100

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 7.7 of 10 Rank 54 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest