Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Unsigned iron tsuba of the Akasaka school, pierced with a paulownia (kiri) tree of leaves and buds within a round rim. Tokubetsu Hozon paper declared by the original seller.
Unsigned (mumei) iron tsuba attributed to the Akasaka school, of nearly round shape (76.3 × 75 mm according to the original seller, 5.3 mm thick at the seppadai). The motif is a paulownia (kiri) rendered in positive openwork (ji-sukashi): a large leaf, budding branches and curving stems resting on a continuous rounded mimi, like a tree seen through a circular window. The photographs show the leaf veins engraved in fine kebori and clean, assured cuts. The original seller points out the black iron and the layered forging texture that emerges on the mimi, a hallmark of the school. In the photographs the piece shows no cracks or knocks; small spots of surface rust are visible on the plate and on the inner walls of the openings, and the central ana carries sekigane. The original seller declares an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper attributing it to Akasaka, which is not photographed, and a custom-made paulownia box.
Strong points
- Paulownia composition in positive openwork, typical of the Akasaka school
- Leaf veins in fine kebori
- No cracks or knocks visible in the photographs
- Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper declared by the original seller
- Custom-made paulownia box, according to the original seller
Points to bear in mind
- Unsigned piece: the Akasaka attribution comes from the declared paper, which does not appear in the photographs
- Small spots of surface rust on the plate and on the walls of the openings
- The central ana carries sekigane
Score
52.9 / 100
- Maker 9 of 25 Attributed to a school only
- Workmanship 10 of 20 Good work
- Condition 14 of 18 Good condition
- Period 7 of 12 Mid-Edo (1688–1781)
- Paper 4 of 10 NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
- Extras 0 of 5 No complete set by the same maker and no inscribed box
- Price 8.9 of 10 Rank 37 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
- School
- Akasaka
- Period
- Mid-Edo (1688–1781)
- Material
- Iron
- Paper
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
- Signature
- Unsigned (mumei)
- Technique
- Sukashi (openwork), Kebori (line engraving)
- Dating
- Mid-Edo period (18th century)