Copper, Iron - Japan - Edo Period (1600-1868)

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Iron Sukashi Tsuba: Chrysanthemums and Oak Leaves (kashiwa) with Acorns

A maru-gata (round) tsuba worked entirely in iron (tetsuji), with a densely openworked (sukashi) composition covering nearly the entire surface: two large chrysanthemums (kiku) in high relief flank the seppa-dai, framed by a lattice of branches, oak leaves (kashiwa), and what appear to be small acorns (donguri) — a naturalistic, autumnal motif pairing well regarded in Japanese decorative art, and one that, in the case of oak and acorn, also carries connotations of strength and longevity, making it a frequent choice for samurai-associated objects.

The seppa-dai is oval, with a finely textured, granular surface, and shows copper sekigane visible at the top and bottom of the nakago-ana — period adjustments made to fit the tsuba to a specific blade's tang, a detail confirming genuine period use rather than purely decorative intent. On either side of the seppa-dai are two irregularly oval ryō-hitsu (openings for kozuka and kogai), naturally integrated into the floral design.

The carving combines deep openwork (sukashi), which lets the design "breathe" against the dark ground, with denser relief on the chrysanthemum petals, achieving a sculptural, highly tactile effect uncommon in lower-quality iron tsuba.

On the school: no signature (mei) is visible in the available images, so this would be a mumei (unsigned) piece, as is common for much of the output from schools specializing in naturalistic botanical sukashi work. The style — a dense plant-based composition covering nearly the whole tsuba, strong contrast between openwork and relief, absence of precious-metal inlay — recalls the tradition of schools such as Owari or Kanayama (both from the Owari region, celebrated for their high-quality iron and bold openwork botanical/geometric compositions), though later Ko-Mino production or regional workshop pieces influenced by these traditions should also be considered. Without a signature or NBTHK/NTHK certificate to confirm it, this attribution should be understood as an orientative stylistic reference, not a certain identification of school or period — that would require submitting the piece to shinsa.

8,4x8,2 cm