赤坂忠重
Akasaka Tadashige

NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon

Dimensions: 8.4 cm x 8.3 cm 6 mm mimi

This Tadashige was born in 1730, the younger brother of the 2nd generation Tadatoki. He lived a long time and was still active in 1816. His work is the typical Akasaka style with iron ji and round shape using ji-sukashi of flowers and plants. This tsuba is large and heavy with a mokume ji. The theme of wild geese and reeds is done in sukashi and ito sukashi. An outstanding example in all regards.

He is ranked by Wakayama as the 3rd level, Yuko. Makers at this level are few. In comparison: of all the generations of Tadatoki listed by Wakayama, only the first one was ranked as Yuko, the 3rd level. The generations that followed are all ranked at Ryoko, the 4th level.

According to Kazutaro Torigoye in his book, Tsuba - An Aesthetic Study (pp.134-135) "Excluding the three great masters of Akasaka school, Tadamasa I, Tadamasa II, and Tadatora, Tadashige is the only highly regarded person among many students of the Akasaka school."

Robert E. Haynes writes, "Among the students of the Akasaka school, the work of Tadashige should be noted. He was one of the later workers of the school but was superior in ability to all the other students. In fact, his work compares favorably with that of the first three generations. He was an innovator and reformer who hoped to raise the standards of the Akasaka school to its former prominence. Though he was the student of the first Tadatoki (4th Akasaka), he easily surpassed his teacher in ability. Unfortunately, only his work reached the heights he so diligently sought. His work may be easily identified because of its superior quality and in cases where it might be confused with the work of the first three generations, it will be younger in appearance than the work of his early masters. Also, he was the first of this school to use kuchibeni at the top and bottom of the nakago-ana, very much in the same style as those used by the Suruga school. This artist is one of the few late Edo age workers who successfully returned to the superior quality of the early artisans of his school and was able to equal their greatness"...

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