Kantei

NH-0813 Rank 121

Tsuba · Egawa Shigenobu

江川重信 (Egawa Shigenobu)

Iron tsuba with a dragon rising through waves and clouds in high relief, with gold eyes; signed 江川重信 (Egawa Shigenobu) and papered Tokubetsu Hozon by the NBTHK.

TsubaLate Edo (1781–1868)Late Edo period (late 18th – 19th century)NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Iron tsuba of tate-marugata shape, signed on the front beside the central opening 江川重信 (Egawa Shigenobu). The theme is a dragon among waves and clouds, hatō unryū-zu (波濤雲龍図): on the front the scaled body curls around the seppa-dai and the head appears at the top, with eyes and teeth in gold; on the back the clouds, the surf and one of the dragon's claws continue. The carving is sukidashi takabori, deep and finely detailed high relief, with touches of zōgan iroe, and the rim is kaku-mimi ko-niku. The photographs show a dark, stable iron patina, with mottled brown areas on the back, crisp relief and an edge free of knocks or cracks. The NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper no. 2009446, dated 4 April 2023, records the piece as signed Egawa Shigenobu. An earlier paper from the Nihon Tōsōgu Kenkyūkai (2021) places it in the late Edo period, gives dimensions of 92.5 × 88.5 mm and praises the well-forged iron and the vigour of the dragon. The original seller states a weight of 213 g and a paulownia box.

Strong points

  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper (2023)
  • Signature accepted by the paper: Egawa Shigenobu
  • Dragon in deep sukidashi takabori with gold eyes and teeth
  • Composition continuing on the back with clouds and surf
  • Second paper from the Nihon Tōsōgu Kenkyūkai with a laudatory appraisal

Points to bear in mind

  • Little-documented maker: neither paper gives his school or dates.
  • The original listing reads the signature as Gōshū Shigenobu; both papers read Egawa Shigenobu.
  • The late Edo dating comes from the Nihon Tōsōgu Kenkyūkai paper, not from the NBTHK one.
  • The back shows brown spots in the patina, stable judging by the photographs.

Score breakdown

60/100

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 19 of 25 Genuine signature of a known maker or school
  2. Workmanship 15 of 20 Notable 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 3 of 10 Rank 161 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest