Kantei
‹ Koshirae

Photographs by the seller at origin.

The piece

Unsigned round iron tsuba attributed to the Chōshū school of Nagato, with carved and pierced chrysanthemums and a gold-damascened rim. Late Edo period.

An unsigned (mumei) iron tsuba of round shape and generous size (90.5 × 88.4 mm according to the original seller, with a seppa-dai 4.4 mm thick), attributed by the original seller to the Chōshū school of Nagato province, known for its naturalistic carving of plants and animals. The subject is oshiai-giku: a crowded field of chrysanthemums pressing against one another, an auspicious motif linked to longevity and nobility. The photographs show the flowers and leaves modelled in relief (nikubori) on both faces, with the ground pierced away (sukashi) so that the design stands out against open space. The open blossoms have gold-inlaid centres, and the smooth, rounded mimi is decorated with fine gold damascene (nunome) in key-fret, lozenge, asanoha and scale patterns, a restrained accent that enhances the piece once mounted. The iron keeps a dark, stable patina with no visible active rust, and the gold on the rim is almost complete. It comes in a wooden presentation box lined with fabric. The original seller declares an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper, which does not appear in the photographs.

Strong points

  • Dense chrysanthemum composition (oshiai-giku) carved in relief and pierced on both faces
  • Mimi with gold damascene (nunome) in several geometric patterns
  • Gold-inlaid flower centres
  • Dark, stable iron patina
  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper declared by the original seller

Points to bear in mind

  • Unsigned: the Chōshū attribution comes from the original seller and the declared paper
  • The Tokubetsu Hozon paper does not appear in the photographs
  • Medium-resolution photographs; fine surface detail cannot be assessed

Score

48.8 / 100

  1. Maker 9 of 25 Attributed to a school only
  2. Workmanship 10 of 20 Good 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 6.8 of 10 Rank 105 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.

Type
Tsuba
Maker
Choshu
Period
Late Edo (1781–1868)
Material
Iron, Gold
Paper
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
Signature
Unsigned (mumei)
School
Chōshū
Technique
Sukashi (openwork), Nunome (damascening), Zōgan (inlay), Other technique
Dating
Late Edo period (19th century)

€2,510Shipping and taxes included

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