Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Iron tsuba signed 明義 (Akiyoshi) with kaō, of the Aizu Shōami school, with gold reeds and a shakudō oar inlaid in high relief. Late Edo period.
Iron tsuba of vertical oval shape (tate-maru-gata), signed on the obverse 明義 (Akiyoshi) followed by his kaō. According to the original seller, Akiyoshi was a craftsman from Aizu in Mutsu province, working in the Shōami lineage and a pupil of Kōno Haruaki. The subject is an oar left among the reeds of an autumn shore, a scene that recalls the aftermath of a battle fought from boats. The photographs show an iron plate with an undulating, granular surface suggesting mist over water; the reeds are inlaid in gold with engraved veins and the oar in black shakudō, both in high relief (takabori-zōgan). The composition continues onto the reverse. Declared dimensions: 76.3 × 72.2 mm, 4.2 mm thick at the seppa-dai. The patina is stable and the inlays are complete; a few small reddish surface spots are visible on the rim, and there is a copper sekigane in the central opening. It comes in a custom-made paulownia box. The original seller declares an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper, which does not appear in the photographs.
Strong points
- Signed 明義 (Akiyoshi) with kaō
- Gold reeds and shakudō oar in takabori-zōgan
- Composition continuing from obverse to reverse
- Worked iron surface evoking mist
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper declared by the original seller
Points to bear in mind
- The paper does not appear in the photographs
- Small spots of surface rust on the rim and around the central opening
- Copper sekigane in the central opening
Score
64.6 / 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 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 7.6 of 10 Rank 81 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
- Akiyoshi
- Period
- Late Edo (1781–1868)
- Material
- Iron, Gold, Shakudō
- Paper
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
- Signature
- Signed
- School
- 会津正阿弥 (Aizu Shōami)
- Inscription
- 明義 花押 (Akiyoshi kaō)
- Technique
- Takabori (high relief), Zōgan (inlay)
- Dating
- Late Edo period (19th century)