NH-0980 Rank 244
Tsuba · Akasaka (den Tadatora)
忠虎 (Tadatora)
Openwork iron tsuba with sasa leaves and karigane, unsigned, attributed by its NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper to Tadatora of the Akasaka school.
Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
Description
Iron tsuba of slightly upright round form (tatemarugata) with a thick rounded rim (marumimi), worked in jisukashi: the plate itself is pierced to create the design. Sasa (dwarf bamboo) leaves whirl around the central opening and, between their tips and the rim, small karigane (stylised wild geese) tie the composition together; the leaf veins are engraved in kebori. The oblique views in the photographs show a notable thickness and a granular, well-forged iron surface, features typical of the early Akasaka generations (Ko-Akasaka). The piece is unsigned. The NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper, no. 2011245, dated 20 December 2024, describes it as a sasaba karigane sukashi tsuba and attributes it with 'den' to Tadatora: 伝忠虎 (den Tadatora). The original seller identifies him as the third Akasaka generation, active in the late 17th century. In the photographs the patina is dark and stable, with no active rust; remnants of copper sekigane remain in the central opening. Dimensions according to the original seller: 7.65 × 7.49 cm, 124.4 g. Presented in an uninscribed wooden box.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper (2024)
- Paper attribution to Tadatora, Akasaka school
- Whirling composition of sasa leaves and karigane in jisukashi
- Thick, well-forged iron typical of Ko-Akasaka
- Dark, stable patina with no active rust
Points to bear in mind
- Unsigned: a paper attribution ('den'), not a signed work
- The (third) generation is stated by the original seller, not by the paper
- Copper sekigane remnants and uneven edges in the central opening from past fitting
Score breakdown
53.6/100
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 9 of 25 Attributed to a school only
- Workmanship 15 of 20 Notable work
- Condition 14 of 18 Good condition
- Period 9 of 12 Early Edo (1615–1688)
- Paper 4 of 10 NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
- Extras 0 of 5 No complete set by the same maker and no inscribed box
- Price 2.6 of 10 Rank 170 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest