Kantei

NH-0934 Rank 229

Tsuba · Suwa Katsumasa (Higo)

諏訪勝政 (Suwa Katsumasa)

Iron mokkō-shaped tsuba with carved waves and inlaid gold withered branches on the dote-mimi rim, signed by Suwa Katsumasa at the age of 78; NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper.

TsubaLate Edo (1781–1868)Late Edo period (19th century)NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Tsuba from Higo province signed 諏訪勝政七十八歳作之 (Suwa Katsumasa nanajūhassai kore o saku), "made by Suwa Katsumasa at the age of seventy-eight". According to the original seller, the Suwa were one of the Higo tsubakō families outside the four great houses (Hirata, Hayashi, Nishigaki and Shimizu); their founder is said to have served Hosokawa Tadaoki, and the line continued until the end of the Edo period. The iron plate is of four-lobed mokkō shape with a thick, rounded dote-mimi rim. Across the recessed field run low-relief waves (namimon) with whirlpools and droplets over a finely hatched ground; all around the rim, on both faces, withered branches (kareki) are inlaid in gold. There are two hitsu-ana, one with a lobed outline. The photographs show iron with a dark, even and stable patina, no visible red rust and the gold intact; on the reverse a small lighter area of rubbing can be seen on the raised waves, and the central opening carries copper sekigane. The original seller gives 71.3 × 68.2 mm, 5.5 mm thickness and 118 g. It comes with an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper, no. 227748, dated 27 June 2006, which records the signature and titles the piece 波文枯木象嵌鍔 (namimon kareki zōgan tsuba).

Strong points

  • Signed with the maker's age: 諏訪勝政七十八歳作之 (Suwa Katsumasa nanajūhassai kore o saku)
  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper (2006) recording the signature
  • Gold-inlaid withered branches running along the entire dote-mimi, on both faces
  • Low-relief waves over a hatched ground, in good-quality iron
  • A rarely encountered Higo workshop, according to the original seller

Points to bear in mind

  • Copper sekigane in the central opening, customary and without apparent damage
  • Small lighter area of rubbing on the relief of the reverse
  • The period is given by the original seller; the paper does not state it

Score breakdown

54.6/100

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 19 of 25 Genuine signature of a known maker or school
  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 2.6 of 10 Rank 169 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest