NihontoWatchNihontoWatchTadamasa the second This powerful tsuba by Akasaka Tadamasa II is an outstanding example of mature mid-Edo Akasaka workmanship, distinguished by its large scale, exceptional thickness, and commanding weight (79.8 × 81.6 mm; up to 7.3 mm thick; 146.6 g). The iron plate is dense and resonant, with a deep, dark patina that speaks to both quality material and confident forging. The sukashi motif depicts Yatsuhashi (八つ橋)—the angular zig-zag planking traditionally associated with iris marshes—combined with lilies (kakitsubata) and possibly elements of Musashino grasses. This layered interpretation allows the design to function on several poetic levels: Yatsuhashi evokes classical literature and refined taste, while the vegetal forms introduce a natural rhythm that softens the geometry and anchors the composition in the landscape tradition so characteristic of Akasaka work. Compositionally, the piece is superbly balanced despite its visual complexity. The bold structural lines are counterweighted by finer, curling elements, creating tension and release across the plate. The seppa-dai is massive and assertive, while the mimi, thick and rounded, reinforces the impression of strength and permanence. Subtle hammer activity and decisive tagane work further underline the Owari roots that remain clearly perceptible in Tadamasa II’s output. Altogether, this tsuba represents Akasaka at its most authoritative: powerful, intellectual, and uncompromising. The scale and weight alone set it apart, but it is the assured synthesis of abstract structure and natural motif that confirms its attribution to Tadamasa the second, and marks it as a truly impressive and rare work within the school. Dimension 79,8 mm x 81,6 mm x 7,3 mm (Seppa) - 6,8 mm (Mimi), 146,6 g
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Akasaka Tadamasa
Early Edo (d. 延宝五 1677)
Signed
Iron-tsuba · Musashi · around 1650-1677
1 piece on the market now
The second Tadamasa of the Akasaka school carried his father's name and calling. The published sources state that 「赤坂忠正は, 庄左衛門と称し同名で初二代いる」 (Akasaka Tadamasa was called Shozaemon, and there were a first and a second generation of the same name), and from a genealogy the descendant Tadatoki submitted to the shogunate in the Bunsei era they give the dates: 「初代忠正は明暦三年に歿し, 二代忠正は延宝五年に歿したと記されている」 (the first Tadamasa died in Meireki 3 and the second in Enpo 5). Like all of the old Akasaka upper three generations, he left no signed work.
Two guards are recorded under his name. The first, an iron tsuba pierced with bamboo, clove and catfish on a gently squared hammered plate, is judged a work of the years when father and son worked side by side: 「二代忠正が初代と共に作鐔していた頃の傑作と推考され, 赤坂透鐔全体からみても極めて優れた鐔である」 (thought to be a masterwork from the time the second Tadamasa made guards together with the first, and an exceptionally fine guard even within all Akasaka openwork). The second, pierced with the Musashino field of pampas grass, dew and a crescent moon in yin-yang openwork, the published sources assign directly: 「本作は二代赤坂忠正と鑑せられる鐔で」 (this guard is judged the second Akasaka Tadamasa), praising a refined carving that wastes no relief.
Both guards carry the construction tells the records give to the first and second generations alike, 「上部の尖った切羽台は赤坂初二代の特徴であり, 小柄櫃孔にして笄櫃孔が小さいのも初二代の特徴である」 (the pointed upper seppa-dai is a feature of the first and second Akasaka generations, as is a kogai-hitsu smaller than the kozuka-hitsu). His hand is therefore read with his father's, and the NBTHK names the second generation only where it judges a guard his. Both are designated Juyo Tosogu.
Where Tadamasa stands among comparable artisans: across all of nihontō, and within tradition, era, and period. The tiers (Foremost · Leading · Major · Notable) weigh official designations from the NBTHK and Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs, together with historical honors of lasting repute such as the Sansaku and Meibutsu-chō.
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Iron-tsuba · Edo
Phase: Ko-Akasaka古赤坂· 1624–1700
59 pieces on the market now
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Tadamasa忠正 | 1624-1657 | 5 |
| Tadashige忠重 | 1730-1816 | 5 |
| Tadatoki忠時 | 1704-1764 | 0 |
| Juchiku/Toshitake寿竹 | — | 0 |
| Tadanori忠則 | 1730-1780 | 0 |
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