Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Iron tatemarugata tsuba with a minimal openwork design of two stylised dragonflies, signed 如瑌 (Josen) with kaō, accompanied by NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers.
Iron tsuba of tatemarugata (竪丸形, tatemarugata) outline, only slightly taller than wide: 7.96 × 7.8 cm and 121.5 g according to the original seller. The papers title it 天地勝虫透鐔 (ametsuchi katsumushi sukashi tsuba): two dragonflies, the warrior's 'victory insect', placed in the heaven and earth of the plate. The openwork is pared down to essentials: two long arcs near the rim and two small heart-shaped openings are enough to suggest the bodies and heads, in a composition of great restraint. The signature, 如瑌 (Josen) followed by his kaō, is shallowly chiselled beside the central opening. The original seller places Josen in Mutsu province in the late Edo period and describes him as a pupil of Murayama Jochiku. The photographs show a dark brown, stable iron patina with a few isolated spots of old rust and no significant cracks or knocks. The tsuba comes with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu papers issued in 2025, which accept the signature, and a plain wooden box without inscription.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu papers (2025) accepting the signature
- Signed 如瑌 (Josen) with kaō
- Dragonfly theme rendered with just a few cut-outs, highly restrained
- Iron with a dark, stable patina
Points to bear in mind
- The signature is shallowly chiselled and barely legible in the photographs
- A few isolated spots of old rust on the surface and rim
- Dimensions, weight and the maker's biography come from the original seller
Score
61.5 / 100
- Maker 19 of 25 Genuine signature of a known maker or school
- Workmanship 10 of 20 Good work
- Condition 14 of 18 Good condition
- Period 5 of 12 Late Edo (1781–1868)
- Paper 4 of 10 NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
- Extras 0 of 5 No complete set by the same maker and no inscribed box
- Price 9.5 of 10 Rank 17 of 330 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest
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.
Details
- Type
- Tsuba
- Maker
- Josen
- Period
- Late Edo (1781–1868)
- Material
- Iron
- Paper
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
- Signature
- Signed
- Inscription
- 如瑌（花押） (Josen kaō)
- Technique
- Sukashi (openwork)
- Dating
- Late Edo period (19th century)
- Paper number
- 2011377
- Paper date
- 1 April 2025
- Attribution on the paper
- 銘 如瑌（花押） (mei Josen kaō)