Kantei

NH-0832 Rank 153

Tsuba · Tetsugendō Naofusa

鉄元堂尚房 (Tetsugendō Naofusa)

Pierced iron tsuba with a hōō (phoenix) wrapping around the whole guard, signed Tetsugendō Naofusa and with an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper.

TsubaLate Edo (1781–1868)Late Edo periodNBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Iron tsuba of tate-marugata shape (round, slightly taller than wide: 8.1 × 7.8 cm and 0.4 cm thick according to the original seller), signed 鉄元堂 尚房 (Tetsugendō Naofusa) on either side of the central opening. Naofusa belongs to the Tetsugendō school of Yamashiro province; the original seller describes him as the adopted son of the first Tetsugendō Shōraku, and the signature dictionary shown in the photographs lists him in the late Edo period as jōkō (上工), a maker of superior rank. The subject is a hōō (phoenix): head and body fill the upper part, with the eye inlaid in gold-coloured metal, while the wings and long tail feathers encircle the guard and sweep in waves across the lower half. It is worked in nikubori ji-sukashi, relief carving with the ground pierced away; the plumage is chiselled feather by feather on both faces and continues in relief over the rim. The two hitsu-ana are shaped as lobed clouds. The photographs show a stable dark brown iron patina with no active rust and light wear on the highest points of the relief. The NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper no. 2011284, dated 1 April 2025, describes it as a pierced phoenix tsuba signed Tetsugendō Naofusa, in iron with relief carving, openwork, inlay and colour.

Strong points

  • Signature 鉄元堂 尚房 (Tetsugendō Naofusa) accepted by the NBTHK paper
  • Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper no. 2011284 (2025)
  • Phoenix in nikubori ji-sukashi, plumage chiselled on both faces and over the rim
  • Phoenix eye inlaid in gold-coloured metal
  • Maker listed as jōkō (上工) in the Shinsen Kinkō Meikan (新撰金工銘鑑)

Points to bear in mind

  • The original seller dates it to the mid-Edo period; the dictionary in the photographs places the maker in the late Edo period.
  • Light wear on the highest points of the relief; the rim is not photographed in profile.
  • The presentation box seen in one photograph bears no expert inscription.

Score breakdown

58.7/100

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 1.7 of 10 Rank 189 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest