Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
A daishō pair of pierced iron tsuba with begonias, both signed 長州住正定 (Chōshū-jū Masasada), from the mid-Edo period.
A daishō pair of tsuba (the larger and smaller guards of a matching set) from the Chōshū school, both signed on the seppa-dai 長州住正定 (Chōshū-jū Masasada), a signature the photographs show clearly on each piece. They are made of iron, marugata in shape with a rounded rim, and depict begonias (shūkaidō, according to the original seller) in sukashi openwork: broad leaves modelled in relief with veins engraved in kebori, crossing stems and small four-petalled flowers, with the kōgai and kozuka hitsu-ana worked into the composition. The two tsuba repeat the motif with variations, as befits a daishō conceived as a set. The iron keeps a stable black-brown patina, with no active rust and no cracks; the rim shows light wear from handling and the smaller tsuba has copper sekigane. According to the original seller, the larger measures 79.6 × 76.4 mm (113.8 g) and the smaller 74.4 × 71.35 mm (80.0 g); they come with a paulownia box and an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu certificate, which is not photographed.
Strong points
- Complete daishō: both tsuba of the same set, signed by the same maker
- Signature 長州住正定 (Chōshū-jū Masasada) legible on both pieces
- Fine openwork begonias with veins engraved in kebori
- Good-quality iron with a stable patina and no active rust
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon certificate declared by the original seller
Points to bear in mind
- The certificate is not photographed; only a label with its title is shown
- The smaller tsuba has copper sekigane in the central opening
- The dating comes from the seller's listing and the style; the piece is not dated
Score
60.9 / 100
- Maker 19 of 25 Genuine signature of a known maker or school
- Workmanship 15 of 20 Notable work
- Condition 14 of 18 Good condition
- Period 7 of 12 Mid-Edo (1688–1781)
- Paper 4 of 10 NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
- Extras 0 of 5 No complete set by the same maker and no inscribed box
- Price 1.9 of 10 Rank 269 of 330 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest
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.
Details
- Type
- Tsuba
- Maker
- Masasada
- Period
- Mid-Edo (1688–1781)
- Material
- Iron
- Paper
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
- Signature
- Signed
- School
- Chōshū
- Inscription
- 長州住正定 (Chōshū-jū Masasada)
- Technique
- Sukashi (openwork), Kebori (line engraving)
- Dating
- Mid-Edo period (18th century)