Kantei

NH-0969 Rank 293

Tsuba · Owari

Openwork iron tsuba with a double-leaf and karigane crest, unsigned and attributed to the Owari school by an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper.

TsubaMid-Edo (1688–1781)Edo period (probably 18th century)NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Unsigned (mumei) tsuba of the Owari school, one of the great traditions of pierced iron guards. Tatemaru shape, slightly taller than wide, with the double-leaf and karigane (wild goose) motif taken from a family crest: two pairs of leaves on either side of the seppa-dai, budding stems and heart-shaped loops above and below, in a symmetrical, tightly joined composition. The photographs show hammered iron (tsuchime), leaf veins engraved in kebori and a square rim of modest volume. The original seller gives 8.0 × 7.9 cm, 0.6 cm at the seppa-dai and 101 g. The patina is dark and stable, with no active rust or cracks; remnants of yellow-metal sekigane remain in the central opening. The NBTHK paper, 特別保存刀装具 (Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu), dated 2019, records it as 双葉雁金透鐔 (futaba karigane sukashi tsuba), 無銘 (mumei), and attributes it to 尾張 (Owari). The period is estimated from style.

Strong points

  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper (2019), attributed to Owari
  • Positive openwork double-leaf and karigane crest, symmetrical design
  • Leaf veins engraved in kebori on hammered iron
  • Dark, stable patina with no active rust
  • Kept in a fabric-lined wooden box

Points to bear in mind

  • Unsigned: a school attribution, not a named maker
  • Sekigane remnants in the central opening
  • The period is not stated on the paper; it is estimated from style
  • Small old notch beside the central opening

Score breakdown

50.7/100

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 7 of 12 Mid-Edo (1688–1781)
  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 6.7 of 10 Rank 76 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest