NH-0926 Rank 150
Tsuba · Shibata Toshitsugu (Owari)
柴田利次 (Shibata Toshitsugu)
Mokkō-gata shakudō tsuba signed 金城南 柴田利次 (Kinjō-minami Shibata Toshitsugu), with pierced kirimon in shippō enamel and inlaid gold inome; NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper.
Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
Description
A lobed mokkō-gata tsuba in shakudō, signed on the front 金城南 柴田利次 (Kinjō-minami Shibata Toshitsugu). The signature places the maker south of Kinjō, Nagoya Castle, in Owari province; the original seller notes that he is scarcely documented and was probably a metalworker retained by the Owari domain. The design is restrained: two small circular openings, above and below, each hold a kirimon (paulownia crest) in shippō enamel, green and yellow alternating on each face, outlined in gold, while four inome (heart-shaped motifs) of granulated inlaid gold surround the openings. The shakudō ground is polished to a deliberately matt finish, the rim is dote-mimi (rounded and thickened) and there are two hitsu-ana. The photographs show both faces, the rim and the signature: the black patina is even, the enamel is complete and the gold shows no losses; only minimal handling marks are visible. The central ana is fitted with sekigane of pale metal. The NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper (no. 221937, 28 July 1993) accepts the signature and describes the piece as a tsuba with pierced kirimon in shippō. Dimensions according to the original seller: 69.5 × 63.6 mm, 4 mm thick, 92 g.
Strong points
- Signature 金城南 柴田利次 (Kinjō-minami Shibata Toshitsugu) accepted by the paper
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper no. 221937 (1993)
- Pierced kirimon in shippō enamel outlined in gold
- Four inlaid gold inome on matt shakudō
- Even patina, enamel and gold intact
Points to bear in mind
- Little-documented maker; the original seller found no references to him
- The dating comes from the original seller and the style; the paper does not state it
- Pale-metal sekigane in the central ana
Score breakdown
58.9/100
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 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 1.9 of 10 Rank 186 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest