NH-0833 Rank 103
Tsuba · Yasuchika (4th generation)
安親 (Yasuchika IV)
Polished iron tsuba signed Yasuchika, fourth generation, engraved in katakiribori with a gathering of sages; NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper.
Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
Description
Iron tsuba of tate-marugata form (a slightly elongated round), with a polished ground and a kaku-mimi ko-niku rim. It depicts a gathering of sages: on the front, several old men talk and drink beneath bamboo branches, one holding a cup and another hiding behind a fan; on the back the scene continues with further figures, a branch and a trunk. Everything is rendered in katakiri-bori and kebori line engraving with a loose, painterly stroke. It is signed to the left of the central opening with two characters, 安親 (Yasuchika). According to the original seller, the fourth Yasuchika was named Tsuchiya Eishū, was the son-in-law of the third, came from Mito and worked in Edo during the Bunka and Bunsei eras. The photographs show a dark brown iron patina with reddish patches, no noticeable active rust and the design fully intact. The NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper, no. 2011022, dated 26 September 2024, accepts the signature and attributes the piece to the fourth generation. Dimensions according to the seller: 8.3 × 8.0 cm, 6.5 mm thick. It comes in a wooden box with no visible inscription.
Strong points
- Yasuchika signature accepted by the NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper
- Gathering of sages engraved across both faces
- Fluid, painterly katakiri-bori engraving
- Polished iron with the design complete
Points to bear in mind
- Work of the fourth Yasuchika, not the founder of the line
- The patina shows mottled reddish areas; worth examining in hand
- The rim is not photographed head-on
Score breakdown
60.8/100
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.
- Maker 19 of 25 Genuine signature of a known maker or school
- Workmanship 10 of 20 Good 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 8.8 of 10 Rank 28 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest