NihontoWatchNihontoWatchDen Owari Tsuba Owari Tsuba are highly coveted by collectors for their function first esthetic. Made of high quality iron of the Owari Province. We see Owari Den works starting in the Muromachi Period. These guards were outfitted for Samurai warriors of the region, the epicenter of one of the most significant events in Japanese History, the unification of Japan. The success of the Owari continued into the Edo Period and left many high quality examples for collectors to appreciate and study. Although unsigned, like many of their works, this tsuba is NTHK Kanteisho papered to Owari School. Kantei for Owari Tsuba is based primarily on the quality of the iron. Other tells are, the presence of tekkotsu*, symmetry and many times, a square rim. Owari Tsuba have a certain look that aficionados quickly learn to identify. Their strong form reminds us of their purpose; as battle implements of the Samurai. *Tekkotsu (鉄骨) refers to the visible “iron bones, appearing as granular, chain-like, or linear patterns, a desirable feature indicating quality steel and craftsmanship from earlier periods like Ko Tosho or Owari. This example is from the Muromachi Period, 1560 ca. and has NTHK Kanteisho paper from 2022. An attractive design I perceive to be of a cherry blossom. Size: 6.9 cm x 6.9 cm, with 2.7 cm ana
Certificate reading — 銘 無銘
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The NTHK’s principal certificate, issued for a fitting of considerable quality. It confirms a genuine signature, or, for an unsigned (mumei) work, records the judges’ attribution to a smith or school. The paper carries a detailed worksheet with a numerical point score.
The NTHK (Nihon Tōken Hozon Kai, the Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Sword) is the oldest of Japan’s sword-appraisal bodies, founded in 1910, decades before the NBTHK. After the death of its long-serving head it divided into two successor societies, the NTHK and the NTHK-NPO, both of which continue to hold shinsa. NTHK certificates are known for a detailed worksheet that records a numerical point score alongside the judges’ written opinion, and the society is especially respected for its attribution of unsigned (mumei) work.
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