NihontoWatchNihontoWatch七福神信仰は、室町時代後期、禅宗の隆盛とともに「竹林の七賢人」に倣って成立したという。それ以前は大黒天と恵比寿の二神が福神として盛んに祀られた。装剣小道具においても古後藤の目貫や小柄、笄にこの二神が見られ、大黒天と恵比寿が相撲をとる「福神相撲図」という面白い画題もある。延命長寿、商売繁盛という現生利益を祈念する七福神信仰は、その後広く庶民に浸透していった。江戸後期には新春の散策を兼ねた七福神巡りなども盛んにおこなわれるようになる。長州鐔の美点である鍛え良く黒味の強い鉄地を浅い打ち返しの丸形に仕立て、琵琶をかき鳴らす弁財天を囲むように毘沙門天、布袋、寿老人、大黒天がいる。寿老人は楽しげに踊り、空には鶴が舞う。竹と松を背後に福禄寿が盃を持ち、恵比寿は亀を呼び寄せる。何ともおめでたい図を鋤出高彫に象嵌色絵で彫り描いた、江戸後期の長州金工友房の作である。
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As written by the shop
Iron-tsuba · Nagato
18 pieces on the market now
The tsuba-making traditions of Choshu domain (Nagato Province) trace their origins to the migration of Heianjo-sukashi openwork craftsmen from Kyoto, invited by the Ouchi family of Suo and Nagato during the Muromachi period. This transplanted lineage gave rise to the Ko-Hagi group, which flourished from the late Muromachi into the early Edo period and established a distinctive regional idiom in iron openwork. Under the subsequent patronage of the Mori clan, Choshu developed into one of Japan's foremost centres of tsuba production, earning the epithet that placed it alongside Aizu as the two great guard-making provinces: notable both for the number of artisans and the volume of work. Multiple lineages emerged — among them the Kawaji, Nakahara, Hatto, Okada, Okamoto, Kaneko, and Nakai — with Nakai Tomotsune (also known as Zensuke) achieving particular renown as a kakae-ko (retainer craftsman) of the Mori household, receiving a stipend from Horeki 8 (1758). The collective vocabulary of the Choshu tradition is grounded in iron: thin, carefully forged plates with rich surface character, including tsuchime-ji (hammered ground).
" The later Nakai school extended this foundation into a broader technical range, deploying sukidashi takabori high relief, kinzogan iroe (gold inlay with polychrome accents), shibuichi, and gold nunome-zogan in compositions of considerable ambition — naturalistic subjects such as frolicking tenaga-zaru monkeys and theatrical Shiki Samban scenes rendered with "taut, controlled modeling" and effective distribution of irogane colour metals. The Choshu tradition occupies a singular position within the tosogu canon as a regional milieu whose finest productions transcend mere provincial category. The NBTHK has recognised that the best works by Nakai Tomotsune surpass "what is ordinarily encompassed by the category of so-called Hagi tsuba,"[[c:1]] distinguished in composition, carving technique, and the character of the iron (tetsumi) alike[[c:2]]. At the same time, the Ko-Hagi group preserves an older and quieter aesthetic — rooted in the Kyoto openwork heritage yet transformed into something "not seen in other makers' work" — that testifies to the depth and continuity of metalworking practice in Nagato Province across several centuries. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Tomonori友矩 | 1770-1800 | 0 |
| Tomohiro友広 | — | 0 |
| Tomotsune友恒 | 1670 | 2 |
| Nobushige信重 | 1781-1867 | 0 |
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 siteIf, 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.