Kantei

NH-0983 Rank 234

Tsuba · Akasaka

Pierced iron tsuba of the Akasaka school showing the wachigai and matsukawa-bishi crests, unsigned, with an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper.

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

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Round iron marugata tsuba with a rounded marumimi rim, worked in ji-sukashi: the openwork forms wachigai crests (interlocking rings) around the seppa-dai and two matsukawa-bishi (stepped pine-bark lozenges) above and below. The piece is unsigned (mumei) and the paper attributes it to the Akasaka school, the Edo workshop founded in the Kan'ei era that reworked the openwork traditions of Owari and Kyoto. The photographs show a thick plate with straight, cleanly cut walls and a lively iron surface, features the original seller associates with the early generations (Ko-Akasaka). The original seller states 8.2 × 8.0 cm, 0.6 cm thickness at the seppa-dai and 101 g. The patina is dark, even and stable, with no active rust or visible cracks; the edge of the central opening shows chisel fitting marks typical of use. It comes with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper no. 2008712, dated July 2022, and an uninscribed wooden box.

Strong points

  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper (2022), attributed to the Akasaka school
  • Heraldic wachigai and matsukawa-bishi design in ji-sukashi
  • Thick iron with a rounded marumimi, typical of early Akasaka work
  • Stable dark patina, no active rust

Points to bear in mind

  • Unsigned: the attribution is to the school, not to a specific generation
  • The dating rests on style and on the original seller's statement; the paper gives no date of making
  • Fitting marks and possible remains of sekigane at the edge of the central opening

Score breakdown

54/100

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 8 of 10 Rank 47 of 228 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest