Description

Nagato no Kuni Hagi-ju Nakai Zensuke Tomotsune-saku, Hana-ikada Sukashi Tsuba. This work comes with a Hozon Tosogu certificate and is featured in the Kinko Meikan (Dictionary of Metal Smiths). Nakai clan. Son of the previous generation Tomoyuki; his mother was the daughter of Chuji from the same province. He became a retained craftsman for the Mori family and was granted a stipend of "Sannin-fuchi Yon-koku" (rations for three people and four koku of rice) starting from Horeki 8 (1758). On tetsu-ji tsuba, he carved flowers, figures, animals, and landscapes using takabori iro-e techniques. This is a Nagato no Kuni Hagi-ju Nakai Zensuke Tomotsune-saku, Hana-ikada Sukashi Tsuba. The ji is tetsu-migaki-ji, with a kaku-mimi and a thick, solid rim. A raft (ikada) is positioned in the center with cherry blossoms (sakura) rendered in sukashi and carving; the rest of the piece features bold ji-sukashi, creating a powerful presence. Nagasa × Yoko: 8.4cm × 8.4cm Kasane: 0.5cm Metal smith: Nakai, Zensuke Tomotsune Place: Nagato domain (the present Yamaguchi prefecture) Period: The middle of Edo Era Paper: Hozon paper (Published by NBTHK) Depth × Width: 8.4cm × 8.4cm Thickness: 0.5cm A part of inscribed mei in this tsuba is on a book of “Dictionary of Japanese Metal Smiths”