This is a Higo tsuba featuring a wave pattern and withered tree inlay. It was made by Suwa Katsumasa, who was 78 years old at the time. The tsuba is accompanied by an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tosogu certificate and comes in a dedicated paulownia wood box.
Certificate reading — 銘 諏訪勝政 七十八歳作之
NihontoWatchBETAmei · Higo · Edo
Higo Kinko School
Edo
Higo
Signed
Tokuho (NBTHK)
Higo · Higo
130 pieces on the market now
The Higo kinkō (肥後金工) tradition comprises the metalworkers who flourished in Higo province (modern Kumamoto) under the patronage of the Hosokawa daimyō house, from the Momoyama period into the late Edo period. Four families — Hayashi, Hirata, Nishigaki, and Shimizu — are regarded as representing the main line, and the first-generation masters of each were all retained by Hosokawa Sansai (Tadaoki), famed as a great commander and an accomplished master of the tea ceremony, and received his guidance. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Misumi Masaharu三角正治 | — | 0 |
| Suwa Ikuhei諏訪幾平 | 1832-1903 | 0 |
| Miyamoto Musashi宮本武蔵 | 1584-1645 | 5 |
| Tsuge Yoshikatsu柘植吉勝 | — | 1 |
| Tani Denji谷伝次 | — | 1 |
A Hozon-certified fitting of notably superior craftsmanship and condition, often with signature or workmanship of high reference 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 siteFor one-of-a-kind items such as swords, sword fittings, and antiques, please contact us about a return within 3 days of the item's arrival and ship it back within 8 days. Refunds are issued the same day the returned item arrives.
This is a Higo tsuba featuring a wave pattern and withered tree inlay. It was made by Suwa Katsumasa, who was 78 years old at the time. The tsuba is accompanied by an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tosogu certificate and comes in a dedicated paulownia wood box.
Certificate reading — 銘 諏訪勝政 七十八歳作之
NihontoWatchBETAmei · Higo · Edo
Higo Kinko School
Edo
Higo
Signed
Tokuho (NBTHK)
Higo · Higo
130 pieces on the market now
The Higo kinkō (肥後金工) tradition comprises the metalworkers who flourished in Higo province (modern Kumamoto) under the patronage of the Hosokawa daimyō house, from the Momoyama period into the late Edo period. Four families — Hayashi, Hirata, Nishigaki, and Shimizu — are regarded as representing the main line, and the first-generation masters of each were all retained by Hosokawa Sansai (Tadaoki), famed as a great commander and an accomplished master of the tea ceremony, and received his guidance. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Misumi Masaharu三角正治 | — | 0 |
| Suwa Ikuhei諏訪幾平 | 1832-1903 | 0 |
| Miyamoto Musashi宮本武蔵 | 1584-1645 | 5 |
| Tsuge Yoshikatsu柘植吉勝 | — | 1 |
| Tani Denji谷伝次 | — | 1 |
A Hozon-certified fitting of notably superior craftsmanship and condition, often with signature or workmanship of high reference 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 siteFor one-of-a-kind items such as swords, sword fittings, and antiques, please contact us about a return within 3 days of the item's arrival and ship it back within 8 days. Refunds are issued the same day the returned item arrives.
