NH-1026 Rank 86
Daishō tsuba · Chōshū Tomokata
友賢 (Chōshū Tomokata)
A daishō pair of pierced iron tsuba with fuki (butterbur) leaves and gold inlay, both signed by Tomokata of the Chōshū school, with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers.
Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
Description
A daishō pair of tsuba, one large and one small, both signed 長州住友賢 (Chōshū-jū Tomokata), a craftsman of the Chōshū school of Nagato province. Each guard takes the form of a large fuki (butterbur) leaf curling over itself, with pierced stems closing the outline. The paper describes the work as irregular in shape (kawari-gata), an iron plate worked in nikubori with the ground pierced (ji-sukashi), with inlay (zōgan) and a squared rim of low volume (kaku-mimi ko-niku). The photographs show line-engraved leaf veins, gold-inlaid scrolls and patches on the leaves, and small gold buds. According to the original seller, the large guard measures 7.62 × 7.26 cm and the small one 7.33 × 6.93 cm. In the photographs the patina is dark and even, with no active rust or visible breaks, and the gold is largely preserved. The pair carries NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tosōgu paper no. 2010141, dated 10 October 2023, which accepts both signatures. The original seller states that it comes in a kiri box.
Strong points
- Complete daishō pair, both tsuba signed by the same craftsman
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tosōgu paper accepting both signatures
- Fuki leaf theme in pierced iron with nikubori relief
- Gold inlay in scrolls and patches across the leaves
- Dark, even patina with no visible active rust
Points to bear in mind
- The available photographs are small; fine wear or minor gold losses cannot be ruled out
- Neither the paper nor the signature dates the pair; the late Edo dating is inferred from style
- Tomokata is a school craftsman, not one of the great masters
Score breakdown
61.7/100
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.
- 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 9.7 of 10 Rank 7 of 229 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest