NihontoWatchNihontoWatchThis rectangular-shaped iron Tsuba is recognized by The Society for Preservation of Japanese Art Swords, which is known as NBTHK. Also, this Tsuba is unsigned, but is appraised as the attribution to the work of Kaga-Kinko (加賀金工) school by NBTHK. Kaga Province (today’s Ishikawa Prefecture) flourished culturally around Kanazawa after the warlord Maeda Toshiie (前田利家) entered the region. He introduced Kyoto culture and invited skilled metalworkers, including the Goto family (後藤家), to create magnificent pieces. Technically, this Tsuba features a technique called “ Shakudou-nanakoji (赤銅魚子地)”, “Sukisage bori (鋤下げ彫り）”, and “Kin-Zogan (金象嵌)”. Shakudou-nanakoji is a technique of engraving spheres as small as fish eggs in a regular arrangement on a metal mixture of Shakudou-nanakojicopper and gold. The black color of this Tsuba is evidence of its high gold content, and its beautiful color is called “wet feathers of a crow”. It is said that there were craftsmen who specialized in this technique in prestigious workshops, and their skill in carving delicate and beautifully without any irregularities can be said to be a true symbol of Japanese craftsmanship. Sukisage bori is a method of carving around the main design to express the design three-dimensionally. In this Tsuba, it is applied between the Shakudou-nanakoji and the central diamond-shaped part, accentuating the two different beauties. The Kin-Zougan is used on the central diamond-shaped part. As for the design, this Tsuba has Shippou (七宝) and Karakusa (唐草,arabesque) designs. Shippou is a pattern of circles of the same size with one quarter of the circumference overlapping and connected, representing the seven treasures of gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, coral, and agate. In addition to being gorgeous, the circles spread out in all directions, expressing the wish for prosperity for the family. Karakusa is a pattern in which stems and leaves of vines are twined and make curves. Since ivy has a strong vitality and grows up without interruption, people regarded this design as a symbol of prosperity and longevity. Vine is called Tsuru (蔓) in Japanese, and it has another pronunciation; “Man.” There is a word 万 (it is also read Man), which means ten thousand. In the Karakusa pattern, leaves and vines are connected like Obi (帯, belt). The word “帯” can also be read “Tai.” Due to its pronunciation, the term “代 (Tai)” is associated. From this word-association game, an idiom 万代 is associated, and it means a thousand generations. In other words, we could imagine that people used this design wishing prosperity and longevity for their clans for a long time. Authentication Paper They authenticated the Tsuba on July 7th in the 4th year of Reiwa (2022). They appraised it as Hozon Tousougu, the Tsuba worth preserving for Japanese society.
Kaga-kinko School加賀金工派
Offered by Samurai Museum
16 on the market
Kinko · Kaga
16 pieces on the market now
The Kaga metalworking tradition (加賀金工) encompasses the broader community of artisans who practiced their craft under the patronage of the Maeda lords of Kaga Province, centered on Kanazawa. '" Craftsmen's families such as Kuwamura, Tsuji, Katsuki, and Koichi are said to have migrated from Kyoto to Kaga around the Kan'ei and Joo eras, where they prospered. " Named masters include Suzuki Kahei Yoshinori[[c:1]], whose signed tsuba adorns a koshirae transmitted as the possession of Maeda Yoshiyasu, fourteenth lord of the house, and Yamao Haruri (山尾春理), whose signed fuchi demonstrate the tradition's continuation into the Bakumatsu period. The collective idiom of Kaga metalwork is defined by its mastery of hira-zogan — flat inlay deploying a rich palette of colored metals against polished grounds. " The technique is said to have originated when the flat-inlay methods of stirrup-makers (abumi-shi, 鐙工) were adapted for tsuba and sword fittings. Particular refinement is achieved through manipulation of gold alloy proportions: one tsuba uses "several kinds of gold — created by altering the proportions of the alloy — imparting an even deeper tonal richness," while another distinguishes three tonal gradations within gold alone.
Alongside hira-zogan, kebori (毛彫, hairline engraving) is a constant companion technique, and the corpus extends to takabori with kin-gin iroe on shakudo nanako-ji grounds. Motifs range from literary subjects — Genji monogatari scenes rendered on bamboo blinds, folding screens, and fan panels — to naturalistic compositions of autumn grasses, massed butterflies, dianthus with brushwood fences, and heraldic programs such as the Hakutaku (白澤) guardian creature of Maeda family tradition. Works on suaka ground are noted as "comparatively rare," presenting "an archaic flavor," while polished shakudo grounds yield jet-black fields against which colored metals achieve maximum brilliance. The Kaga tradition occupies a singular position in the tosogu canon as the premier regional school of flat inlay. " Several designated works are identified as presentation pieces conceived for the highest levels of daimyo patronage. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Ujitada氏忠 | — | 0 |
| Kiyonaga清永 | — | 0 |
| Katsuhisa克久 | — | 0 |
| Genroku源六 | — | 0 |
| Katsuhisa克久 | — | 0 |
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 limited to defects caused by shipping (except willful misconduct or gross negligence by the company); customers must contact within 72 hours of receiving the product.
¥216,000
Certificate reading — 無銘（加賀金工）