NH-0935 Rank 16
Tsuba · Nobuie
信家 (Nobuie)
Iron tsuba signed 信家 (Nobuie), in modified mokkō shape with karakusa arabesques in kebori, with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu papers confirming the signature.
Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
Description
Iron tsuba signed 信家 (Nobuie), one of the great masters of the iron tsuba, traditionally ranked alongside Kaneie as the twin peaks of the genre. The original seller attributes it to the Nobuie of the bold-character signature (futoji-mei) and places it in the Momoyama period, in Owari province. The photographs show a modified mokkō shape (kawari mokkō-gata), a hammered iron ground (tsuchime-ji) and a fine karakusa arabesque engraved in kebori across both faces, with a sukinokoshi-mimi rim and a single hitsu-ana. The signature is read beside the central opening. The iron keeps a dark, stable patina with no active rust; the engraving is somewhat softened by use in places, and there is a small old irregularity on one lobe of the rim. The NBTHK paper, Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu no. 227120 of December 2004, records it as a karakusa-mon tsuba signed Nobuie and describes the shape, the tsuchime ground, the kebori, the rim and the hitsu-ana. According to the original seller it measures 7.1 × 6.5 cm, 0.5 cm thick. It comes with a lacquered box decorated with the kotobuki character.
Strong points
- Signature 信家 (Nobuie) confirmed by the NBTHK paper
- Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper no. 227120 (2004)
- Fine karakusa arabesque in kebori on both faces
- Well-forged hammered iron (tsuchime-ji) with stable patina
- Modified mokkō shape with sukinokoshi-mimi rim
Points to bear in mind
- The paper does not distinguish futoji-mei from hanare-mei; the futoji-mei classification is the original seller's
- The Momoyama dating comes from the original seller; the paper gives no period
- Kebori somewhat softened in places and a small old irregularity on the rim
- The box carries no hakogaki
Score breakdown
70.1/100
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.
- Maker 25 of 25 Genuine signature of a first-rank master, confirmed by the paper
- Workmanship 15 of 20 Notable work
- Condition 14 of 18 Good condition
- Period 11 of 12 Momoyama (1573–1615)
- Paper 4 of 10 NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
- Extras 0 of 5 No complete set by the same maker and no inscribed box
- Price 1.1 of 10 Rank 203 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest