Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Iron tatemaru tsuba signed 長門萩住中井友恒 (Nagato Hagi-jū Nakai Tomotsune), with monkeys trying to catch shrimp on the obverse and horses in a mountain meadow on the reverse.
Iron tsuba of tatemaru shape, signed on the obverse 長門萩住中井友恒 (Nagato Hagi-jū Nakai Tomotsune). Nakai Tomotsune worked in Hagi, Nagato province, and is among the most highly regarded names of the Chōshū school, known for its landscapes and plant motifs; his work stands out for the originality of its subjects. On the obverse, over an ishime ground, an old pine leans towards the water and a monkey stretches its arm towards two shrimp among gold water weeds, while another monkey watches from the branches; the fur is finely chiselled in kebori and the pine needles carry gold dots. On the reverse, mountains with pines and three loose horses in a meadow, one in reddish copper and two in a dark grey alloy, with grass inlaid in gold. The photographs show a dark, stable iron patina, the gold intact and light scratches on the reverse. The original seller gives dimensions of 76.8 × 72 mm, 4 mm thick at the seppa-dai, and declares an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper, which does not appear in the photographs. It comes in a paulownia box.
Strong points
- Full, clearly legible signature 長門萩住中井友恒 (Nagato Hagi-jū Nakai Tomotsune)
- Unusual subject: monkeys trying to catch shrimp
- Takabori with gold, copper and grey alloy inlays on both faces
- Dark, stable iron patina with the gold preserved
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper declared by the original seller
Points to bear in mind
- The declared paper does not appear in the photographs
- Fine scratches and some light pitting on the reverse
- Remains of metal fillers (sekigane) around the central opening
Score
62.7 / 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 5.7 of 10 Rank 143 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
- Nakai Tomotsune
- Period
- Late Edo (1781–1868)
- Material
- Iron, Gold, Copper, Shibuichi
- Paper
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
- Signature
- Signed
- School
- Chōshū
- Inscription
- 長門萩住中井友恒 (Nagato Hagi-jū Nakai Tomotsune)
- Technique
- Takabori (high relief), Zōgan (inlay), Kebori (line engraving), Other technique
- Dating
- Late Edo period (18th–19th century)