This antique iron Tsuba from the Edo period features a Kuruma Sukashi Zu (wheel openwork design). It is attributed to the Sho-ami school, renowned for their intricate openwork and metalworking skills. The wheel motif, known as Genji Guruma, symbolizes the passage of time and reincarnation, referencing the oxcarts from The Tale of Genji.
NihontoWatchmumei · Sho-Ami · Edo
Shoami School
Edo
Unsigned
Tokubetsu Kichō (NBTHK)
Iron-tsuba · Kyoto
193 pieces on the market now
The Shoami (正阿弥) school arose in Kyoto as one of the principal lineages among the specialist tsuba makers who came to the fore from the middle through the late Muromachi period. Its roots lie in the capital's communities of ami-shū, who served as dōbōshū (attendant artisans) and within whose circles Shōami lineages existed; the prevailing view today is that these artisans originally worked as makers of tōsōgu in general and later became specialized tsuba craftsmen. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Denbei傳兵衛 | — | 13 |
| Shoami Katsuyoshi正阿弥勝義 | — | 7 |
| Matashichi又七 | — | 0 |
| Yoshikazu吉一 | — | 0 |
| Jihachiro治八郎 | — | 0 |
This work carries older NBTHK “Kichō”-era papers, which the NBTHK no longer issues and now regards as unreliable. To confirm the attribution, submission to an official Japanese examination body (such as the NBTHK or NTHK) for modern certification could be considered.
Returns/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.
This antique iron Tsuba from the Edo period features a Kuruma Sukashi Zu (wheel openwork design). It is attributed to the Sho-ami school, renowned for their intricate openwork and metalworking skills. The wheel motif, known as Genji Guruma, symbolizes the passage of time and reincarnation, referencing the oxcarts from The Tale of Genji.
NihontoWatchmumei · Sho-Ami · Edo
Shoami School
Edo
Unsigned
Tokubetsu Kichō (NBTHK)
Iron-tsuba · Kyoto
193 pieces on the market now
The Shoami (正阿弥) school arose in Kyoto as one of the principal lineages among the specialist tsuba makers who came to the fore from the middle through the late Muromachi period. Its roots lie in the capital's communities of ami-shū, who served as dōbōshū (attendant artisans) and within whose circles Shōami lineages existed; the prevailing view today is that these artisans originally worked as makers of tōsōgu in general and later became specialized tsuba craftsmen. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Denbei傳兵衛 | — | 13 |
| Shoami Katsuyoshi正阿弥勝義 | — | 7 |
| Matashichi又七 | — | 0 |
| Yoshikazu吉一 | — | 0 |
| Jihachiro治八郎 | — | 0 |
This work carries older NBTHK “Kichō”-era papers, which the NBTHK no longer issues and now regards as unreliable. To confirm the attribution, submission to an official Japanese examination body (such as the NBTHK or NTHK) for modern certification could be considered.
Returns/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.
