Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Hammered suaka (copper) tsuba with weeping cherry branches in flush gold inlay, unsigned and attributed by the NBTHK to Hikozō, founder of the Hirata school of Higo. Designated Jūyō Tōsōgu.
Unsigned tate-maru-gata tsuba, designated Jūyō Tōsōgu at the 67th NBTHK session on 29 October 2021. The paper titles it 円相枝垂桜図鐔 (Ensō shidare-zakura zu tsuba) and attributes it to 彦三 (Hikozō), first generation of the Hirata family of Higo, of Shōami lineage, who served Hosokawa Sansai and, according to the paper's text, died in Kumamoto in Kan'ei 12 (1635). The plate is suaka (copper) with a hammered tsuchime surface; a raised ring traces an ensō, the Zen circle, around the seppa-dai, which carries concentric lines cut in kebori. Weeping cherry branches in flush gold inlay (kin keshikomi zōgan) are set on the rim, two groups on each face. Rounded mimi and a single hitsu-ana. It measures 8.0 × 7.7 cm, with a rim thickness of 0.5 cm. The photographs show an old brown patina with the dark mottling typical of hammered copper, the gold intact and no cracks or significant knocks; the central opening retains its chisel adjustment marks. It comes with a lacquered box decorated with susuki grasses in maki-e.
Strong points
- Designated Jūyō Tōsōgu by the NBTHK (67th session, 2021)
- Attributed to Hikozō, founder of the Hirata school of Higo
- Weeping cherry in flush gold inlay on hammered suaka
- Restrained composition around a raised ensō
- Lacquered box with susuki maki-e
Points to bear in mind
- Unsigned: the authorship is an attribution by the paper, not a signature.
- The original seller's index places it in Momoyama; the paper dates it to the early Edo period.
- The hammered surface shows dark patina mottling and minor signs of use.
- The box bears no visible inscription (no hakogaki).
Score
61.1 / 100
- Maker 15 of 25 Unsigned, attributed by the paper to a master
- Workmanship 15 of 20 Notable work
- Condition 14 of 18 Good condition
- Period 9 of 12 Early Edo (1615–1688)
- Paper 8 of 10 NBTHK Jūyō Tōsōgu
- Extras 0 of 5 No complete set by the same maker and no inscribed box
- Price 0.1 of 10 Rank 326 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
- Hikozō
- Period
- Early Edo (1615–1688)
- Material
- Copper, Gold
- Paper
- NBTHK Jūyō Tōsōgu
- Signature
- Attributed (den)
- School
- Hirata
- Technique
- Zōgan (inlay), Kebori (line engraving), Other technique
- Dating
- Early Edo period (17th century)
- Paper number
- 14847
- Paper date
- 29 October 2021
- Attribution on the paper
- 彦三 (Hikozō)