NH-0772 Rank 252
Tsuba · Owari
Unsigned iron tsuba of mokkō shape, pierced with matsukawabishi motifs and twin leaves, attributed to the Owari school by an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper.
Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
Description
Iron tsuba of mokkō shape with a rounded rim (marumimi), worked in ji-sukashi, where the design is formed by the metal left between the openings. The paper describes it as 松皮菱双葉透鐔 (matsukawabishi futaba sukashi tsuba): above and below, two stepped 'pine-bark' lozenges; at the sides, two serrated leaves; all joined by crossed bars radiating from the seppadai. The composition is symmetrical and boldly drawn, a hallmark of Owari openwork. The photographs show hammered iron with a granular surface, a stable dark patina and clean cuts; the inner walls of the piercings show reddish-brown tones of old rust and the seppadai has small pits, with no cracks or missing parts. It is unsigned. The NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper, dated 19 December 2023, records it as mumei and attributes it to Owari. The original seller gives 8.71 × 8.53 cm, 0.45 cm thickness at the seppadai and 87.5 g. It is kept in a wooden box lined with blue cloth, with no visible inscription.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper (2023)
- Owari openwork with bold lines and symmetrical composition
- Matsukawabishi motif with twin leaves
- Hammered iron with a stable dark patina
- Lined wooden box
Points to bear in mind
- Unsigned: the paper attributes it only to the Owari school, not to a maker
- The period is inferred from style; the paper does not state it
- Old rust tones on the walls of the piercings and small pits on the seppadai
Score breakdown
52.8/100
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.
- Maker 9 of 25 Attributed to a school only
- Workmanship 10 of 20 Good work
- Condition 14 of 18 Good condition
- Period 9 of 12 Early Edo (1615–1688)
- Paper 4 of 10 NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
- Extras 0 of 5 No complete set by the same maker and no inscribed box
- Price 6.8 of 10 Rank 74 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest