NH-0768 Rank 284
Tsuba · Mito school
Unsigned iron tsuba attributed to the Mito school, with a recumbent shakudō deer spotted in gold among gold maple leaves. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper.
Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
Description
Iron tsuba of tate-marugata shape (slightly elongated round), with a double-ridged rim (komochi-mimi). It measures 8.0 × 7.5 cm and 0.51 cm thick, according to the original seller. It is unsigned (mumei) and the paper attributes it to the Mito school of Hitachi province. The theme is a recumbent deer among autumn maples: on the front, a small deer carved in relief in black metal, which by its colour appears to be shakudō, with the spots of its coat inlaid in gold, accompanied by three gold maple leaves; on the back, five gold leaves fall in an arc below the openings. Zōgan and iroe work on an iron plate with a granular surface. The photographs show a dark, stable patina, with the odd superficial reddish spot and the gold well preserved; the kōgai hitsu-ana is filled with a dark metal plug. It retains its NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon certificate of December 2021, with its envelope, describing it as an iron tsuba with zōgan and iroe, mumei, Mito school.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper (2021), visible in the photographs
- Relief deer in black metal with inlaid gold spots
- Gold maple leaves on both faces, a coherent autumn composition
- Iron plate with komochi-mimi and a dark, stable patina
Points to bear in mind
- Unsigned: the paper attributes it to the Mito school, not to a specific maker
- Kōgai hitsu-ana filled with a metal plug (umegane)
- Some superficial rust spots and possible minimal gold loss on one leaf on the back
- The dating rests on school and style; the paper does not state it
Score breakdown
51.1/100
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.
- Maker 9 of 25 Attributed to a school only
- Workmanship 10 of 20 Good work
- Condition 14 of 18 Good condition
- Period 5 of 12 Late Edo (1781–1868)
- Paper 4 of 10 NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
- Extras 0 of 5 No complete set by the same maker and no inscribed box
- Price 9.1 of 10 Rank 21 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest