This tsuba features a dynamic design of a dragon and a tiger, attributed to the Nanban school. The front depicts a dragon turning its head, while the reverse shows a three-sided namako (sea cucumber) design. The large sukashi-bori (openwork carving) contributes to its light weight. It is accompanied by an NBTHK Hozon Tosogu certificate.
NihontoWatch
Unsigned
Hozon (NBTHK)
Certifies a genuine fitting worth preserving: a correct signature, or, if unsigned, an identifiable era and school, with recognized artistic and craft value.
The NBTHK (Nihon Bijutsu Tōken Hozon Kyōkai, the Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords) is a public-interest incorporated foundation founded in 1948 and supervised by Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs (Bunkachō); it is based at the Japanese Sword Museum in Tokyo. Its expert panels physically examine each submitted work (shinsa) and issue a certificate (kanteishō) ranking it by artistic and historical merit. NBTHK papers are the most widely recognized standard of authentication for Japanese swords and fittings.
NBTHK official site
¥45,000
