A Good, Antique, Edo Period Iron Plate 17th Century Saotome Tembo Katana Tsuba, From The Tembo School of Tsubako.

A well hammered rough surface forged iron plate Saotome Tembo tsuba.

The first master of the Saotome school was Nobuyasu of Shimotsuke. Nobuyasu moved to Odawara in Sagami were the Saotome school itself was founded. Some of the early Saotome makers were Nobuyasu, Iyenori, Iyetsugu, Iyetada and Iyesada although there is some disagreement on the lineage of the school. There were many other generations working well into the late Edo period. The Saotome School gave rise to the Tembo School of tsubako.

Tempo {Tembo} school and the yakite finish (heat treatment) is typical, as is the excellent iron. Typical wildness of the hot-stamping, and it is very finely constructed. The patina is amazingly soft and velvety, kozuka and kogai ana, on each side, numerous deep stamps, kozuka and kogai hitsu ana (suhama) copper ume infills. 74 mm

Code: 22454