Vintage Japanese Wooden Sumitsubo Set of 4 Signed Tsubosei Sanjo Carpenter Tools

Vintage Japanese Wooden Sumitsubo Set of 4 – One Signed Tsubosei, Sanjo Carpenter’s Ink Line Tools

This is a set of four traditional Japanese wooden sumitsubo, ink-line marking tools historically used by carpenters and woodworkers for marking straight lines on timber.

One of the four pieces bears the maker’s mark “壺静” (Tsubosei)(Image8,19 ). Tsubosei is a traditional sumitsubo workshop from Sanjo, Niigata, an area renowned for Japanese woodworking and carpentry tools. The workshop has produced wooden sumitsubo since around the mid-20th century and continues the traditional craft today.

The signed Tsubosei piece has an attractive curved wooden form with a large wooden line wheel and decorative carved details. The other three pieces are unsigned and show different traditional forms, making this an interesting group illustrating several styles of Japanese carpenter’s sumitsubo.

Some pieces retain their strings, line wheels, and marking pins (karuko).

Approximate size of one piece:
Height: 9.0 cm / 3.54 in
Length: 17.5 cm / 6.89 in
Width: 4.0 cm / 1.57 in

Total Weight:
566 g / 1.25 lbs

The items are in vintage to antique condition and show substantial signs of age and previous use, including scratches, wear, discoloration, old ink residue, small cracks, and other traces associated with traditional working tools.

Please check the photos carefully for details.