Kantei

NH-0937 Rank 270

Tsuba · Kacchūshi

Round hammered-iron tsuba pierced with butterflies and snowflakes, unsigned and attributed by the NBTHK to the Kacchūshi (armourers), with Tokubetsu Hozon papers.

TsubaLate Edo (1781–1868)Edo period (per the original seller)NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

An unsigned (mumei) round tsuba attributed by its NBTHK paper to the Kacchūshi, the armour-making craftsmen whose iron guards are known for their restraint. The paper titles it 胡蝶雪花透鐔 (kochō sekka sukashi tsuba): butterflies and snowflakes in openwork. The photographs show two butterflies above and below the central opening and two large snowflakes at the sides, cut in silhouette from a thin iron plate with a hammered surface and a rounded rim, as the paper describes: 丸形 (marugata), 鉄槌目地 (tetsu tsuchime-ji), 陰透 (in-sukashi) and 丸耳 (maru-mimi). Small punched dots enliven the butterflies' bodies. According to the original seller it measures 8.50 × 8.44 cm, with a rim thickness of 0.30 cm and a weight of 76 g, and comes in a kiri box. The photographs, covering both faces and the edge, show a stable dark brown patina with no active rust or cracks. NBTHK 特別保存刀装具 (Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu) paper no. 2008433, dated 1 April 2022.

Strong points

  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper no. 2008433 (2022)
  • Poetic openwork motif of butterflies and snowflakes
  • Iron with hammered tsuchime-ji surface and maru-mimi rim
  • Stable dark patina, no cracks or active rust

Points to bear in mind

  • Unsigned: generic attribution to the Kacchūshi, no named maker
  • The paper gives no specific period; the original seller only states Edo period
  • Photographs are small composites

Score breakdown

51.9/100

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.

  1. Maker 9 of 25 Attributed to a school only
  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 9.9 of 10 Rank 4 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest