NH-0945 Rank 33
Tsuba · Shimizu Jingo
志水甚五 (Shimizu Jingo)
Iron Higo tsuba signed 八代甚五作 (Yatsushiro Jingo saku), with a floral arabesque on the front and a large bellflower crest on the back; NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper.
Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
Description
Iron tsuba of aorigata shape, signed on the seppa-dai 八代甚五作 (Yatsushiro Jingo saku). Jingo is the art name used within the Shimizu school, one of the Higo metalworking lineages retained by the Hosokawa clan. The original seller attributes it to the third master of the line, who took the name Jingo in old age and died in 1777. The front shows a peony arabesque (hōsōge karakusa) carved in sukidashibori on a hammered iron ground, with remains of silver nunome overlay; the back carries a large bellflower crest (kikyō) in relief filling most of the plate, a deliberate contrast between floral delicacy and the boldness of the mon. The rim is finished with a fukurin which the original seller describes as shakudō and a later addition. The photographs show both faces free of active rust or cracks; the silver nunome survives only in part, and traces of soft metal remain at the top edge of the central opening. The NBTHK paper, Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu, dated 24 December 2021, confirms the signature. Stated dimensions: 72.9 × 70.2 mm, 3.6 mm thick.
Strong points
- Signature of Jingo, master of the Shimizu school of Higo, confirmed by the paper
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper (2021)
- Floral arabesque in sukidashibori with remains of silver nunome
- Large kikyō crest in relief on the back
- Hammered iron ground with the restrained wabi taste typical of Higo
Points to bear in mind
- The paper confirms the signature but does not state the generation; the attribution to the third master is the original seller's
- According to the original seller, the fukurin is a later addition
- The silver nunome survives only in part
- The photographs, under strong light, show a lighter tone than the photo on the paper
Score breakdown
67.4/100
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 7 of 12 Mid-Edo (1688–1781)
- Paper 4 of 10 NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
- Extras 0 of 5 No complete set by the same maker and no inscribed box
- Price 2.4 of 10 Rank 173 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest