| This tsuba depicts ginkgo leaves. The metalworker Masatsune originally belonged to the Yamagata family and was later permitted to use the surname Itō. He lived in Kanda, Edo, and worked during the mid-Edo period as an official metalworker for the Ōkubo family of the Odawara domain, producing tsuba in the style of the Itō school.In this work, large spreading ginkgo leaves are boldly arranged across the entire tate-maru-gata iron plate. The veins of the leaves are expressed with refined chisel work resembling flowing kebori engraving. The overlapping leaves and deeply cut edges create a strong and dynamic composition. The iron is well forged, and the use of ji-sukashi openwork is skillfully balanced, revealing the sophisticated design sense characteristic of the Itō school. |
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