This is a pair of menuki by Toshinaga, depicting Izanagi no Mikoto and Izanami no Mikoto, the deities of Japan's creation myth. Crafted in the early Edo period in Musashi Province, Edo, they feature a shakudo ground with intricate carving. The menuki were passed down through notable collectors, including the Edo Matsuzawa family, Sugiyama Shigemaru, Akaboshi Tetsuma, and Aoki Tetsutaro, and are listed in 'Nara Sansaku' by Ikeda Suematsu.
NihontoWatch
Nara Toshinaga
Edo
Musashi
Signed
Machibori · Edo
Nara Toshihisa (奈良利寿), commonly known as Tahee or Taheibei (太兵衛), was born in Kanbun 7 (1667) and died in Genbun 1 (1736) at the age of seventy. He stands as the eldest and, by broad scholarly consensus, the most technically accomplished of the celebrated Nara sansaku — the Three Masters of Nara — alongside Tsuchiya Yasuchika and Nara Jōi. As head master of the Nara school during the mid-Edo period, Toshihisa defined the mature idiom of the lineage at its creative zenith. His oeuvre is dominated by fuchi-kashira sets, which constitute the great majority of his surviving work; tsuba and kozuka by his hand are notably scarce, lending such pieces exceptional documentary value when they surface. Several of his compositions — gamecocks, Jurojin with minogame, Shoki and oni, and tigers amid waterfalls — recur across multiple authenticated works, establishing a recognizable thematic vocabulary that later generations of the school would emulate.
Toshihisa's technical command is most fully expressed in his mastery of sukidashi takabori, a method of relief carving in which figures are raised from the ground plane with subtly graduated levels of height, producing an illusion of spatial depth within the severely limited surface area of sword fittings. His grounds are themselves works of considered craftsmanship: he employed a distinctive personal ishime-ji texture on shakudo, iron, and brass plates alike, and also worked polished shibuichi and oborogin grounds finished with selective applications of lacquer to deepen tonal contrast. His deployment of irogane — colored-metal inlay and overlay using gold, silver, shakudo, shibuichi, and suaka — is characteristically restrained; rather than saturating a composition with polychrome display, he applies iroe sparingly to heighten dramatic tension. In his battle and animal subjects, figures carved in emphatic high relief appear to thrust outward from the metal surface, while surrounding elements are rendered at lower relief planes, creating a dynamic interplay between foreground and ground that NBTHK examiners have repeatedly described as uniquely characteristic of his manner.
Toshihisa's significance within the history of Japanese metalwork extends beyond technical virtuosity. His figural subjects — whether the fierce combative energy of a gamecock poised to strike, the coiled tension of a tiger surveying its prey in the manner described as koshitan-tan, or the serene authority of Bishamonten commanding a narrow kashira face — consistently achieve an expressive intensity that transcends mere decorative function. NBTHK scholarship has emphasized his singular ability to convey the philosophical duality of do (movement) and sei (stillness) within a single composition: a quality that elevates his finest works from accomplished craft to genuine artistic statement. Several of his pieces bear distinguished provenance, including examples from the Ryushido collection of Mitsumura Toshimo with inscriptions by the celebrated Meiji-era metalworker Unno Shomin. As the senior figure among the Nara sansaku, Toshihisa established the standard of dignified, powerfully carved relief work against richly textured grounds that came to define the school's highest aspirations.
Where Toshinaga stands among comparable artisans: across all of nihontō, and within tradition, era, and period. The tiers (Foremost · Leading · Major · Notable) weigh official designations from the NBTHK and Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs, together with historical honors of lasting repute such as the Sansaku and Meibutsu-chō.
Select a lens to see how it's measured.
Machibori · Edo
83 pieces on the market now
The Nara school of kinko (metalwork) emerged in the mid-Edo period as one of the most celebrated independent traditions of sword-fitting craftsmanship, its masters working outside the patronage structures that governed the Goto house. The school coalesced around the figure of Nara Toshihisa (1667--1736), also known as Tahee, who as head master during its creative zenith defined the mature idiom of the lineage. Though the school's origins are often traced through the successive generations of the Nara family beginning with Toshiharu, its lasting fame rests upon the Nara sansaku — the Three Masters of Nara: Toshihisa, Tsuchiya Yasuchika, and Sugiura Joi. " Joi (1701--1761), trained under Juei in the lineage of Toshiharu, rose to become the third pillar of this triumvirate. Together, and joined by masters of allied lineages such as Hayashi Shigemitsu of the Higo kinko tradition, the Nara school and its circle represent the highest achievement of independent metalwork in the Edo period. The collective technical vocabulary of the Nara school encompasses an extraordinary breadth of materials and methods. Its masters worked in iron, shakudo, shibuichi, brass (shinchu), refined copper (suaka), and oborogin, treating surfaces as polished grounds (migaki-ji), hammered textures (tsuchime-ji), and stone-grain finishes (ishime-ji) — the latter developed by Toshihisa into a distinctive personal manner. The school's carving methods span the full spectrum: sukidashi-bori modeled relief, takabori high relief, the thread-fine line work of kebori, and the single-stroke katakiribori incision. " Yet individual specialties distinguish the masters within this shared vocabulary.
Toshihisa's art finds its fullest expression in sukidashi takabori — relief carving in which figures are raised with subtly graduated heights to produce an illusion of spatial depth — executed against his richly textured ishime-ji grounds. Joi developed nikuaibori, a modulated relief technique of unrivaled refinement, producing entire compositions through chisel work alone on polished oborogin grounds, dispensing with inlay and colored-metal accents. Yasuchika's range is perhaps the broadest, encompassing the distinctive daigaku-gata iron tsuba conceived for his patron and kozuka that "draw forth a small universe" within a confined surface, while his late works signed with the art name Tou achieve an austere, detached realm the NBTHK terms kotan. The legacy of the Nara school rests on the singular ability of its masters to transcend decorative function and achieve genuine artistic expression within the confines of sword fittings. Toshihisa, as the senior figure among the sansaku, established the standard of dignified, powerfully carved relief against richly textured grounds, and his figural subjects — gamecocks, tigers, Bishamonten — consistently achieve what NBTHK scholarship identifies as the philosophical duality of do (movement) and sei (stillness) within a single composition. " Joi, working primarily in the intimate format of the kozuka, achieved expressive authority through the sheer subtlety of his nikuaibori chisel work — his celebrated lion-and-cub compositions existing in closely related versions across multiple designations and published in the canonical reference Tagane no Hana. That the school also attracted masters of allied provincial traditions — Hayashi Shigemitsu of Higo, whose iron tsuba display the characteristic murasaki-sabi patina and "somewhat gentler feeling" that distinguishes the second generation from the founder Matahichi — attests to its gravitational influence on Edo-period metalwork as a whole. Across the school's production, the NBTHK's evaluative language converges on a consistent theme: compositional intelligence, technical command across the full range of materials and carving methods, and an expressive depth that elevates the finest works from accomplished craft to art of the highest order. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Yasuchika安親 | — | 85 |
| Joi乗意 | — | 12 |
| Toshinaga利寿 | — | 28 |
| Nara奈良 | — | 2 |
| Toshiyoshi利善 | — | 0 |
We could not find an authenticity certificate on the seller’s listing. Japanese swords and fittings are normally papered by the NBTHK (or the NTHK). Without one, the attribution is the seller’s own assessment and has not been independently verified — treat it with caution and ask the dealer about certification before buying.
If, due to our fault, the item differs significantly from its proper condition, the item may be returned. Cooling-off is within one week of the item's arrival.
This is a pair of menuki by Toshinaga, depicting Izanagi no Mikoto and Izanami no Mikoto, the deities of Japan's creation myth. Crafted in the early Edo period in Musashi Province, Edo, they feature a shakudo ground with intricate carving. The menuki were passed down through notable collectors, including the Edo Matsuzawa family, Sugiyama Shigemaru, Akaboshi Tetsuma, and Aoki Tetsutaro, and are listed in 'Nara Sansaku' by Ikeda Suematsu.
NihontoWatchNara Toshinaga
Edo
Musashi
Signed
Machibori · Edo
Nara Toshihisa (奈良利寿), commonly known as Tahee or Taheibei (太兵衛), was born in Kanbun 7 (1667) and died in Genbun 1 (1736) at the age of seventy. He stands as the eldest and, by broad scholarly consensus, the most technically accomplished of the celebrated Nara sansaku — the Three Masters of Nara — alongside Tsuchiya Yasuchika and Nara Jōi. As head master of the Nara school during the mid-Edo period, Toshihisa defined the mature idiom of the lineage at its creative zenith. His oeuvre is dominated by fuchi-kashira sets, which constitute the great majority of his surviving work; tsuba and kozuka by his hand are notably scarce, lending such pieces exceptional documentary value when they surface. Several of his compositions — gamecocks, Jurojin with minogame, Shoki and oni, and tigers amid waterfalls — recur across multiple authenticated works, establishing a recognizable thematic vocabulary that later generations of the school would emulate.
Toshihisa's technical command is most fully expressed in his mastery of sukidashi takabori, a method of relief carving in which figures are raised from the ground plane with subtly graduated levels of height, producing an illusion of spatial depth within the severely limited surface area of sword fittings. His grounds are themselves works of considered craftsmanship: he employed a distinctive personal ishime-ji texture on shakudo, iron, and brass plates alike, and also worked polished shibuichi and oborogin grounds finished with selective applications of lacquer to deepen tonal contrast. His deployment of irogane — colored-metal inlay and overlay using gold, silver, shakudo, shibuichi, and suaka — is characteristically restrained; rather than saturating a composition with polychrome display, he applies iroe sparingly to heighten dramatic tension. In his battle and animal subjects, figures carved in emphatic high relief appear to thrust outward from the metal surface, while surrounding elements are rendered at lower relief planes, creating a dynamic interplay between foreground and ground that NBTHK examiners have repeatedly described as uniquely characteristic of his manner.
Toshihisa's significance within the history of Japanese metalwork extends beyond technical virtuosity. His figural subjects — whether the fierce combative energy of a gamecock poised to strike, the coiled tension of a tiger surveying its prey in the manner described as koshitan-tan, or the serene authority of Bishamonten commanding a narrow kashira face — consistently achieve an expressive intensity that transcends mere decorative function. NBTHK scholarship has emphasized his singular ability to convey the philosophical duality of do (movement) and sei (stillness) within a single composition: a quality that elevates his finest works from accomplished craft to genuine artistic statement. Several of his pieces bear distinguished provenance, including examples from the Ryushido collection of Mitsumura Toshimo with inscriptions by the celebrated Meiji-era metalworker Unno Shomin. As the senior figure among the Nara sansaku, Toshihisa established the standard of dignified, powerfully carved relief work against richly textured grounds that came to define the school's highest aspirations.
Where Toshinaga stands among comparable artisans: across all of nihontō, and within tradition, era, and period. The tiers (Foremost · Leading · Major · Notable) weigh official designations from the NBTHK and Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs, together with historical honors of lasting repute such as the Sansaku and Meibutsu-chō.
Select a lens to see how it's measured.
Machibori · Edo
83 pieces on the market now
The Nara school of kinko (metalwork) emerged in the mid-Edo period as one of the most celebrated independent traditions of sword-fitting craftsmanship, its masters working outside the patronage structures that governed the Goto house. The school coalesced around the figure of Nara Toshihisa (1667--1736), also known as Tahee, who as head master during its creative zenith defined the mature idiom of the lineage. Though the school's origins are often traced through the successive generations of the Nara family beginning with Toshiharu, its lasting fame rests upon the Nara sansaku — the Three Masters of Nara: Toshihisa, Tsuchiya Yasuchika, and Sugiura Joi. " Joi (1701--1761), trained under Juei in the lineage of Toshiharu, rose to become the third pillar of this triumvirate. Together, and joined by masters of allied lineages such as Hayashi Shigemitsu of the Higo kinko tradition, the Nara school and its circle represent the highest achievement of independent metalwork in the Edo period. The collective technical vocabulary of the Nara school encompasses an extraordinary breadth of materials and methods. Its masters worked in iron, shakudo, shibuichi, brass (shinchu), refined copper (suaka), and oborogin, treating surfaces as polished grounds (migaki-ji), hammered textures (tsuchime-ji), and stone-grain finishes (ishime-ji) — the latter developed by Toshihisa into a distinctive personal manner. The school's carving methods span the full spectrum: sukidashi-bori modeled relief, takabori high relief, the thread-fine line work of kebori, and the single-stroke katakiribori incision. " Yet individual specialties distinguish the masters within this shared vocabulary.
Toshihisa's art finds its fullest expression in sukidashi takabori — relief carving in which figures are raised with subtly graduated heights to produce an illusion of spatial depth — executed against his richly textured ishime-ji grounds. Joi developed nikuaibori, a modulated relief technique of unrivaled refinement, producing entire compositions through chisel work alone on polished oborogin grounds, dispensing with inlay and colored-metal accents. Yasuchika's range is perhaps the broadest, encompassing the distinctive daigaku-gata iron tsuba conceived for his patron and kozuka that "draw forth a small universe" within a confined surface, while his late works signed with the art name Tou achieve an austere, detached realm the NBTHK terms kotan. The legacy of the Nara school rests on the singular ability of its masters to transcend decorative function and achieve genuine artistic expression within the confines of sword fittings. Toshihisa, as the senior figure among the sansaku, established the standard of dignified, powerfully carved relief against richly textured grounds, and his figural subjects — gamecocks, tigers, Bishamonten — consistently achieve what NBTHK scholarship identifies as the philosophical duality of do (movement) and sei (stillness) within a single composition. " Joi, working primarily in the intimate format of the kozuka, achieved expressive authority through the sheer subtlety of his nikuaibori chisel work — his celebrated lion-and-cub compositions existing in closely related versions across multiple designations and published in the canonical reference Tagane no Hana. That the school also attracted masters of allied provincial traditions — Hayashi Shigemitsu of Higo, whose iron tsuba display the characteristic murasaki-sabi patina and "somewhat gentler feeling" that distinguishes the second generation from the founder Matahichi — attests to its gravitational influence on Edo-period metalwork as a whole. Across the school's production, the NBTHK's evaluative language converges on a consistent theme: compositional intelligence, technical command across the full range of materials and carving methods, and an expressive depth that elevates the finest works from accomplished craft to art of the highest order. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Yasuchika安親 | — | 85 |
| Joi乗意 | — | 12 |
| Toshinaga利寿 | — | 28 |
| Nara奈良 | — | 2 |
| Toshiyoshi利善 | — | 0 |
We could not find an authenticity certificate on the seller’s listing. Japanese swords and fittings are normally papered by the NBTHK (or the NTHK). Without one, the attribution is the seller’s own assessment and has not been independently verified — treat it with caution and ask the dealer about certification before buying.
If, due to our fault, the item differs significantly from its proper condition, the item may be returned. Cooling-off is within one week of the item's arrival.
