NH-0923 Rank 113
Tsuba · Ko-Kinkō
Shakudō tsuba with a nanako ground and chrysanthemum sprays in sukidashi-bori, attributed by the paper to the Ko-Kinkō school; NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon certificate.
Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
Description
Unsigned (mumei) tsuba of aori-gata shape, in deep black shakudō with a fine nanako ground which, as the photographs show, also covers the rim (mimi). The theme is the chrysanthemum (kiku-zu): sprays of open blossoms, leaves and buds rising from the rim and encircling the seppa-dai, worked in sukidashi-bori and joined to the mimi in nikubori. The NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper (no. 2010398, 19 December 2023) describes it as 菊図鐔 無銘 古金工 (kiku-zu tsuba mumei Ko-Kinkō), that is, a work of the early Ko-Kinkō metalsmiths. The broad seppa-dai and the shape of the hitsu-ana, one of them lobed, are consistent with an early piece; the original seller places it in the Muromachi period. The photographs show a well-preserved black patina, an intact nanako and crisp carving, with slight rubbing on a few high points where the copper tone shows through and the usual wear on the seppa-dai. The central ana carries copper sekigane. Declared dimensions: 66.7 × 60.2 mm, 6 mm thick, 153 g. According to the original seller, it comes with a fitted paulownia box.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper attributing it to Ko-Kinkō
- Black shakudō with nanako ground, extending onto the mimi
- Chrysanthemums in sukidashi-bori, crisp and careful carving
- Well-preserved original patina, no visible damage
Points to bear in mind
- Unsigned: the Ko-Kinkō attribution comes from the paper, not from a signature
- Copper sekigane in the central ana
- Slight rubbing on a few high points, where the copper shows
- The Muromachi dating is given by the original seller; the paper states no period
Score breakdown
60.2/100
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.
- Maker 9 of 25 Attributed to a school only
- Workmanship 15 of 20 Notable work
- Condition 14 of 18 Good condition
- Period 12 of 12 Muromachi or earlier (before 1573)
- 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 88 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest