These menuki from the Edo period depict the "Hyōtan Namazu" motif, a catfish with a gourd. The catfish is made from shakudo, with gold inlaid eyes and gourd. The motif alludes to the Zen riddle of catching a catfish with a bottle, representing the achievement of seemingly impossible tasks.
NihontoWatchBETA
Kyo-kinko School
Edo
Unsigned
Hozon (NBTHK)
Kinko · Yamashiro
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 siteThese menuki from the Edo period depict the "Hyōtan Namazu" motif, a catfish with a gourd. The catfish is made from shakudo, with gold inlaid eyes and gourd. The motif alludes to the Zen riddle of catching a catfish with a bottle, representing the achievement of seemingly impossible tasks.
NihontoWatchBETAKyo-kinko School
Edo
Unsigned
Hozon (NBTHK)
Kinko · Yamashiro
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 site
