Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Unsigned marugata tsuba in shakudō with a nanako ground, attributed to the Kaga school, showing the blossoming cherry trees of Yoshino in takabori with silver and gold iroe.
Round (marugata) unsigned tsuba attributed to the Kaga metalworkers, a school known for carrying the refined technique of the Gotō tradition into more opulent compositions. The subject is Yoshino senbon-zakura, the thousand cherry trees of Yoshino, Japan's most celebrated place for blossom viewing. On a black shakudō ground with fine, even nanako, gnarled cherry trees spread across both faces in takabori; open blossoms are picked out in silver and buds in gold (iroe), with a carefully balanced play of volume and colour. It measures 82.5 × 83 mm, 4 mm thick at the seppa-dai, according to the original seller. The photographs show crisp nanako, well-defined relief and complete colour work, with no visible knocks or rust; the central opening is fitted with sekigane. It comes in a paulownia box with a fitted recess. The original seller states an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper attributing it to Kaga, which does not appear in the photographs.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper stated by the original seller
- Fine, even shakudō nanako ground
- Cherry trees in takabori with silver blossoms and gold buds (iroe)
- Composition continuing across obverse and reverse
- Paulownia box with fitted recess
Points to bear in mind
- Unsigned: attributed to the Kaga school, not to a named maker
- The paper does not appear in the photographs
- The central opening is fitted with sekigane
- The photographs do not show the rim
Score
51.5 / 100
- Maker 9 of 25 Attributed to a school only
- Workmanship 15 of 20 Notable 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 2.5 of 10 Rank 254 of 338 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
- Kaga
- Period
- Mid-Edo (1688–1781)
- Material
- Shakudō, Silver, Gold
- Paper
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
- Signature
- Unsigned (mumei)
- Technique
- Nanako (fish-roe ground), Takabori (high relief), Iroe (coloured inlay)
- Dating
- Mid-Edo period (18th century)