NihontoWatchNihontoWatchQ608. Iron tsuba with sahari inlay, signed Teiei. 7.5 x 7.6 x ,3 cm at the rim (.4 cm at the seppa-dai). The nakago hitsu-ana is .9 x 2.5 cm. Sahari is an alloy of copper, tin, zinc, & lead. After the alloy had hardened it was powdered and set in carved recesses in the tsuba’s surface. Heat was applied, causing the powder to melt. Once rehardened, the surface was ground flat. Air bubbles in the powder leave tiny pits in the surface; if the sahari doesn’t have the pits it isn’t true sahari. Dark spots inside the sahari surface are pieces of the iron ground that were left proud in the carved resesses, so they would appear once the inlay was flattened. This whole process demands great skill. The Hazama tsuba smiths were the masters of sahari and Teiei (Sadaiye), circa 1700, was the best of the group. This tsuba comes in a fitted box with pillow, with a label that reads Tsuba Teiei Raimon (lightning). Teiei is an important name in kodogu and forged signatures are always a possibility. I sent this to the NBTHK in Tokyo and received a Hozon paper dated Renwa 4 (2022) giving it to Raimon Tsuitate Tsuba Mei Teiei. About this paper. I have little doubt the tsuba could have achieved Tokubetsu Hozon level but I needed only confirmation of the signature and requested Hozon paper only. Condition is pristine, like the day it was made. A classic example of work from a master smith; I am quite pleased to be able to offer this piece on my site.
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The Hazama school (Hazama-ha 間派), also known as the Kameyama tsuba makers, emerged in the castle town of Kameyama in Ise Province from around the Genroku era (1688-1704). The school's founders were members of the Kunitomo (国友) family, originally matchlock gunsmiths (teppou kaji) who had lived in Omi Province. "[[c:2]] Works bear either the single-character signature "間" (Ma) or personal names such as Kunitomo Sadaei and Masaei (正栄), linking the school's named artisans to a shared workshop tradition rooted in the military metalworking crafts of the Kunitomo lineage. The Hazama school's defining contribution is sahari-zougan (佐波理象嵌), an inlay technique employing sahari, a distinctive alloy of copper, tin, and lead.
"[[c:4]] Techniques attested across the corpus include suemon-zougan (applied inlay), takabori takanikubori (high-relief carving) in shakudou, hira-zougan (flat inlay), and the yakite kusarashi (fired and corroded) surface treatment. "[[c:5]] The Hazama school occupies a singular position within the broader kinko tradition as the only lineage to have applied sahari inlay to tsuba production. " The school's origin as firearms craftsmen who transferred their metalworking mastery to a peaceful art form, and their creation of a decorative vocabulary without parallel elsewhere in tsuba production, secure their place as one of the most distinctive regional schools of the mid-Edo period. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Masahide正秀 | — | 3 |
| Sadahide貞秀 | — | 3 |
| Masataka正孝 | — | 0 |
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.
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