Kantei

NH-0814 Rank 131

Daishō tsuba pair · Suruga Takaoki

駿河卓置 (Suruga Takaoki)

A daishō pair of iron tsuba with relief-carved chrysanthemums and gold nunome, signed by Suruga Takaoki of the Inshū Suruga school, with an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper.

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

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

A daishō pair of tsuba, one large and one small, both signed on the seppa-dai 因州住 駿河卓置 (Inshū-jū Suruga Takaoki). Takaoki belongs to the Inshū Suruga school, active in Inaba province; the original seller describes him as the ninth master of the line and one of its most skilled craftsmen. Both guards are iron, of upright round shape with a rounded rim, and depict chrysanthemums in bloom and in bud that encircle the seppa-dai on the front and narrow to a single stem with a large flower on the back. The sunken-ground relief carving is crisp, with petals and veins finely chiselled in line, and gold nunome highlights the flower hearts and leaves. Both hitsu-ana of the large tsuba are filled with dark polished metal; those of the small one are open. The photographs show a dark, stable iron patina with no active rust or knocks, and partial loss of gold along the leaf edges. Dimensions per the original seller: large 75.5 × 75.1 mm, 4.3 mm thick; small 72.7 × 69.4 mm, 3.9 mm. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper no. 221145, issued in 1991, accepts the signature on both pieces. Supplied with an uninscribed paulownia box.

Strong points

  • Complete daishō pair, both pieces signed by the same maker
  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper accepting the signature
  • Crisp, detailed chrysanthemum carving on both faces
  • Gold nunome on iron with a dark, stable patina

Points to bear in mind

  • The gold nunome is partly lost along the leaf edges
  • The hitsu-ana of the large tsuba are plugged with metal; those of the small one are open
  • The dating comes from the original seller; the pair is not dated

Score breakdown

59.5/100

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 2.5 of 10 Rank 172 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest