Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Round shakudō tsuba with a nanako ground and a family of gold chickens in takabori, signed 柳川直時 (Yanagawa Naotoki) with kaō.
Round (maru-gata) shakudō tsuba with a fine nanako ground laid out in very regular concentric circles. It is signed on the seppa-dai 柳川直時 (Yanagawa Naotoki), followed by his kaō, the personal monogram. Naotoki was a pupil and son-in-law of Yanagawa Naomitsu and founded a branch line of the Yanagawa school, an offshoot of the Yokoya tradition known for shakudō nanako with figures in takabori and iroe. The subject is a family of chickens (oyako-dori): on one face a pecking rooster and a hen sheltering a chick; on the other, two chicks, one with spread wings. The figures are in gold high relief, with plumage and feet detailed in kebori, and the rim carries a gold fukurin. The photographs show a crisp nanako, bright gold with no losses and an intact fukurin; the polished seppa-dai shows light marks of use. Dimensions according to the original seller: 7.5 × 7.2 cm, rim thickness 0.5 cm. It comes with a paulownia wood box. The original seller states an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper, which does not appear in the photographs.
Strong points
- Signed 柳川直時 (Yanagawa Naotoki) with kaō
- Fine, very regular shakudō nanako ground
- Gold rooster, hen and chicks in takabori, with kebori plumage
- Complete gold fukurin on the rim
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper stated by the original seller
Points to bear in mind
- The paper does not appear in the photographs; it is stated by the original seller
- The piece is undated: the period is inferred from the maker's known activity
- Light marks of use on the seppa-dai
Score
57.9 / 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 0.9 of 10 Rank 299 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
- Yanagawa Naotoki
- Period
- Late Edo (1781–1868)
- Material
- Shakudō, Gold
- Paper
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
- Signature
- Signed
- School
- Yanagawa
- Inscription
- 柳川直時（花押） (Yanagawa Naotoki kaō)
- Technique
- Nanako (fish-roe ground), Takabori (high relief), Iroe (coloured inlay), Kebori (line engraving), Migaki (burnished)
- Dating
- Late Edo period (late 18th – early 19th century)