Kantei

NH-0954 Rank 140

Tsuba · Mino

Unsigned shakudō nanako tsuba carved in Mino-bori with autumn grasses and an insect, highlighted in gold, attributed to the Mino school by an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper.

TsubaEarly Edo (1615–1688)Early Edo period (17th century), by styleNBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

An upright oval (tate-maru-gata) tsuba, unsigned, attributed to the Mino school by its NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper. It depicts autumn plants — chrysanthemums, plum blossoms, clover and an ear of grain — among which a grasshopper appears, a theme the paper titles akikusa mushi-zu (autumn grasses and insects). The plate is shakudō with a fine, even nanako ground; the design is carved in relief by cutting back the ground (sukidashi-bori), with chiselled veining and gold iroe accents on the flowers, the ear of grain and scattered dots, and the rim is left in reserve as a sukinokoshi-mimi. The composition encircles the seppadai on both faces. The photographs show a nuanced black patina, crisp relief and well-preserved gold, with no cracks or rust; the seppadai bears ordinary handling marks. The original seller gives dimensions of 7.94 × 7.44 cm and a weight of 146 g. It comes in a plain, uninscribed wooden box.

Strong points

  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper (2025) attributing it to Mino
  • Classic Mino-bori: shakudō nanako, sukidashi-bori and gold iroe
  • Autumn grasses and grasshopper theme carried across both faces
  • Crisp relief and well-preserved gold

Points to bear in mind

  • Unsigned: a school attribution, not a maker
  • The paper gives no date; the period is inferred from style
  • Handling marks on the seppadai

Score breakdown

59.1/100

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.

  1. Maker 9 of 25 Attributed to a school only
  2. Workmanship 15 of 20 Notable work
  3. Condition 14 of 18 Good condition
  4. Period 9 of 12 Early Edo (1615–1688)
  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 8.1 of 10 Rank 45 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest