Kantei

NH-0975 Rank 254

Tsuba · Heianjō zōgan

Tate-marugata iron tsuba with kikyō flowers and karakusa scrolls in flat brass inlay, attributed by an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper to the Heianjō zōgan school.

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

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Unsigned (mumei) tsuba of tate-marugata shape (round, slightly taller than wide), about 8.5 × 8.2 cm and 133 g according to the original seller. The iron plate, with a granular surface, is scattered with Chinese bellflowers, 桔梗 (kikyō), and loose leaves in flat brass inlay (hira-zōgan), their petals and veins defined in kebori; along the rim, a raised dote-mimi, run fine 唐草 (karakusa) scrolls, also in brass. Both hitsu-ana are lined with brass. This is the typical idiom of Heianjō zōgan, the brass-on-iron inlay work associated with Kyoto craftsmen. The photographs show a dark, stable patina, the brass almost entirely intact and no noticeable damage; the central ana shows rough fitting edges. The NBTHK paper, Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu, attributes the piece to the 平安城象嵌 (Heianjō zōgan) school. It comes with a wooden box with no visible inscription.

Strong points

  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper
  • Flat brass inlay of kikyō flowers and karakusa scrolls
  • Raised dote-mimi and brass-lined hitsu-ana
  • Dark, stable iron patina

Points to bear in mind

  • Mumei: a school attribution, not a named maker
  • The period is inferred from style; neither the legible paper nor the piece dates it
  • The certificate appears small in the photographs and its number cannot be read

Score breakdown

52.7/100

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 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 6.7 of 10 Rank 77 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest