Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Round iron tsuba with an arabesque of aoi leaves in raised yamagane inlay and a mushikui rim, signed by Matsumura Katsukata, an Aizu craftsman of the mid-Edo period.
Round (marugata) iron tsuba with a thickened dote-mimi rim worked in mushikui, a deliberate 'insect-eaten' surface effect. Both faces are covered by a dense arabesque of aoi leaves and tendrils (aoi karakusa), inlaid in high relief (takazōgan) in yamagane, a subdued copper alloy. Each leaf takes a different pose, full in volume and with finely engraved kebori veins, while the tendrils curl with energy. The front bears the signature in two columns beside the central opening, which the photographs show as Aizu-jū Chūemon Matsumura Katsukata followed by a kaō. Katsukata was a tsuba maker of Aizu, in Mutsu province. The photographs show a dark, stable patina with no active rust, complete inlays and light rubbing on the high points. Dimensions according to the original seller: 86.8 × 85.8 mm, 4.5 mm thick at the seppadai. The original seller declares an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper, a fitted paulownia box and publication in Zabō Tansen; the paper does not appear in the photographs.
Strong points
- Tsuba signed by Matsumura Katsukata of Aizu
- Aoi arabesque in yamagane takazōgan on iron, on both faces
- Varied leaves with kebori-engraved veins
- Dote-mimi rim with decorative mushikui
- Tokubetsu Hozon paper declared by the original seller
Points to bear in mind
- The declared paper does not appear in the photographs
- The cavities on the rim and field are intentional mushikui, not corrosion
- The dating rests on the seller's statement and on style; the piece is not dated
Score
65.2 / 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 6.2 of 10 Rank 127 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
- Aizu-jū Chūemon Matsumura Katsukata
- Period
- Mid-Edo (1688–1781)
- Material
- Iron, Copper
- Paper
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
- Signature
- Signed
- School
- Aizu
- Inscription
- 会津住忠衛門松村勝方 (Aizu-jū Chūemon Matsumura Katsukata) y kaō
- Technique
- Zōgan (inlay), Kebori (line engraving), Other technique
- Dating
- Mid-Edo period (18th century)