Kantei

NH-0885 Rank 1

Tsuba · Nobuie

信家 (Nobuie)

Signed iron mokko tsuba by Nobuie with gourds and karakusa scrolls in kebori, Momoyama period, designated Jūyō Tōsōgu by the NBTHK.

TsubaMomoyama (1573–1615)Momoyama period (late 16th – early 17th century)NBTHK Jūyō Tōsōgu

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Mokko-shaped iron tsuba signed by Nobuie, the Owari tsubakō who, together with Kaneie, is traditionally regarded as one of the two summits of the iron tsuba. The finely cut signature reads to the left of the central opening. The design, gourds (hyōtan) among karakusa scrolls, is engraved in very fine kebori on both faces over a hammered ground (tsuchime-ji) of lively texture. The rim is uchikaeshi-mimi, with a small raised lip that varies in height around the outline, and the profile is lower at the centre than at the rim. It measures 8.75 × 8.2 cm, with a rim thickness of 0.45 cm. The photographs show a dark, deep and stable iron patina, with no active rust or cracks. Both hitsu-ana are plugged with lead, as recorded by the paper, and the central opening carries copper sekigane. The NBTHK designated it Jūyō Tōsōgu at its 43rd session (30 October 1997); the certificate and the setsumei accept it as a signed work by Nobuie of the Momoyama period and praise the iron and the colour of its patina. It comes with its box bearing a hakogaki by Satō Kanzan, which, according to the inscription, records its provenance from the Suzuki Kajō collection.

Strong points

  • Nobuie signature confirmed by the NBTHK Jūyō Tōsōgu paper (43rd session, 1997)
  • Gourds and karakusa in kebori on both faces
  • Hammered iron (tsuchime-ji) with a dark, deep and stable patina
  • Uchikaeshi-mimi rim typical of the master
  • Box with hakogaki by Satō Kanzan

Points to bear in mind

  • Both hitsu-ana are plugged with lead
  • The central opening carries copper sekigane

Score breakdown

80.1/100

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 25 of 25 Genuine signature of a first-rank master, confirmed by the paper
  2. Workmanship 20 of 20 Exceptional work
  3. Condition 14 of 18 Good condition
  4. Period 11 of 12 Momoyama (1573–1615)
  5. Paper 8 of 10 NBTHK Jūyō Tōsōgu
  6. Extras 2 of 5 Adds: box inscribed by an expert (hakogaki)
  7. Price 0.1 of 10 Rank 226 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest