The traditionally attributed to kagamishi (mirror makers) form a distinctive category within the -period tosogu canon. These works are universally unsigned, and examiners consistently note that "from olden times, of this manner have been called the work of kagamishi," while acknowledging that "whether this designation is in fact correct is a matter that should await further study." The attribution thus reflects a longstanding connoisseurial convention rather than documented workshop provenance, linking these pieces to the mirror-making craft through perceived affinities in casting technique and formal vocabulary. The corpus spans the period into the early , with the works serving as "valuable reference material for -period ."
The kagamishi-attributed share a coherent technical and aesthetic profile. All are (round) in form, executed on or brass (shinchu) grounds. Their primary technique is cast relief -- (modeled raised relief) and (repousse) -- sometimes finished with supplementary chisel work () or line engraving over the casting. Rims frequently employ the dote-mimi (raised bank rim), which itself may carry cast floral-pattern motifs in relief. The decorative repertoire draws on heraldic and geometric vocabulary: chrysanthemum crests (), paulownia crests () in unconventional arrangements, lattice patterns () enclosing peony blossoms, and scattered tortoise-shell and whirlpool motifs (kikko-uzumaki chirashi). Construction ranges from single-plate () to two-plate (nimai-awase) assembly. Motifs are rendered with boldness and scale; the repeatedly characterize these as "large-scale, imposing" works composed with "bold pattern."
The assessments accord these pieces a measured but genuine esteem. The workmanship is judged "excellent," and the chrysanthemum-crest is singled out as possessing "a particular elegance" and being "well made" among works of similar taste. The lattice-and-paulownia is described as "a large-scale, imposing " likely deriving "from the mirror-maker tradition." Though the question of actual kagamishi authorship remains open, the designation itself attests to the recognition that these cast-relief occupy a place apart from the mainstream and katchushi traditions -- works of considerable age whose bold, large-format compositions and distinctive casting idiom constitute an important chapter in the study of early tosogu production.