This is a tsuba attributed to Yamakichi, featuring a snow flower openwork design. Made during the Momoyama period in Owari province, it exhibits the characteristic strong, black, lustrous iron and nodular steel frame associated with Yamakichi works. The tsuba measures 6.86cm in height and 6.41cm in width, weighing 71.6g, and comes with an NBTHK Hozon Tosogu certificate.
Certificate reading — 無銘（山吉）
NihontoWatchBETAden · Momoyama
Yamakichi School
Momoyama
Owari
Den (attributed)
Hozon (NBTHK)
Iron-tsuba · Owari
1 piece on the market now
The Yamakichibei lineage, originally known by the full surname Yamasaka Kichibei (山坂吉兵衛), constitutes one of the two pillars of the Owari tsuba tradition, standing alongside Hoan as a representative tsubako of the province. The school is said to have originated as armorers in the service of the Oda family, and the earliest works -- those signed in full as "Yamasaka Kichibee" (山坂吉兵へ) without abbreviating the surname -- are associated with a maker active around the Genki era (c. 1570) in the closing years of the Muromachi period. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Yamakichibei山吉兵衛 | — | 10 |
| Yamakichibei山吉兵衛 | Momoyama | 3 |
Certifies a genuine fitting worth preserving: a correct signature, or, if unsigned, an identifiable era and school, with recognized artistic and craft value.
The NBTHK (Nihon Bijutsu Tōken Hozon Kyōkai, the Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords) is a public-interest incorporated foundation founded in 1948 and supervised by Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs (Bunkachō); it is based at the Japanese Sword Museum in Tokyo. Its expert panels physically examine each submitted work (shinsa) and issue a certificate (kanteishō) ranking it by artistic and historical merit. NBTHK papers are the most widely recognized standard of authentication for Japanese swords and fittings.
NBTHK official siteReturns/exchanges/cancellations not accepted after shipment except for significant defects; if defective, return/exchange possible within 3 days of arrival (return shipping paid by customer).
This is a tsuba attributed to Yamakichi, featuring a snow flower openwork design. Made during the Momoyama period in Owari province, it exhibits the characteristic strong, black, lustrous iron and nodular steel frame associated with Yamakichi works. The tsuba measures 6.86cm in height and 6.41cm in width, weighing 71.6g, and comes with an NBTHK Hozon Tosogu certificate.
Certificate reading — 無銘（山吉）
NihontoWatchBETAden · Momoyama
Yamakichi School
Momoyama
Owari
Den (attributed)
Hozon (NBTHK)
Iron-tsuba · Owari
1 piece on the market now
The Yamakichibei lineage, originally known by the full surname Yamasaka Kichibei (山坂吉兵衛), constitutes one of the two pillars of the Owari tsuba tradition, standing alongside Hoan as a representative tsubako of the province. The school is said to have originated as armorers in the service of the Oda family, and the earliest works -- those signed in full as "Yamasaka Kichibee" (山坂吉兵へ) without abbreviating the surname -- are associated with a maker active around the Genki era (c. 1570) in the closing years of the Muromachi period. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Yamakichibei山吉兵衛 | — | 10 |
| Yamakichibei山吉兵衛 | Momoyama | 3 |
Certifies a genuine fitting worth preserving: a correct signature, or, if unsigned, an identifiable era and school, with recognized artistic and craft value.
The NBTHK (Nihon Bijutsu Tōken Hozon Kyōkai, the Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords) is a public-interest incorporated foundation founded in 1948 and supervised by Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs (Bunkachō); it is based at the Japanese Sword Museum in Tokyo. Its expert panels physically examine each submitted work (shinsa) and issue a certificate (kanteishō) ranking it by artistic and historical merit. NBTHK papers are the most widely recognized standard of authentication for Japanese swords and fittings.
NBTHK official siteReturns/exchanges/cancellations not accepted after shipment except for significant defects; if defective, return/exchange possible within 3 days of arrival (return shipping paid by customer).
