This is a kozuka featuring a design of Buddhist altar objects, signed by Masaoki with his kao. Masaoki was a pupil of Otsuki Mitsuoki, a prominent artist in Kyoto during the late Edo period, known for his unique works with a Zen aesthetic. This kozuka is crafted from polished silver with katakiribori and kebori techniques, showcasing intricate chisel work. It comes with an outer box from Ryushido and a calligraphy inscription by Ikeda Takao, and is certified Hozon by the NBTHK.
mei · Otsuki · Edo

Otsuki Oki/Masaoki/Minayama Oki
Edo
Yamashiro
Signed
Hozon (NBTHK)
Machibori · around 1670
Kaizan Oki was a student of Otsuki Mitsuoki (Otsuki Koko) and a central figure in the succession of highly skilled craftsmen that the Otsuki lineage produced during the late Edo period. His common name was Naoichi, and he lived at Nijo in Kyoto. He initially signed his works as Oko, later changing the signature to Oki, and used art-names including Reibokudo and Chikufudo. The NBTHK situates him within a direct line of distinguished Kyoto metalworkers that includes Otsuki Mitsuhiro, Kawarabayashi Hideoki, Tenkodo Hidekuni, and Matsuo Gassan, a group that "enjoyed a period of great prosperity."
Oki's characteristic technique centers on yobori high-relief carving executed on solid gold (kinmuku) or shakudo grounds, brought to completion with oki-kin-iroe and polychrome metal accents in gold, silver, shibuichi, and suaka. His menuki display what the NBTHK describes as "the unrestrained, open manner characteristic of Kyoto machibori," marked by an "outstanding power of direct observation." His chisel control is consistently praised as "smooth and expansive," capable of rendering delicate leaf veins with crisp precision while modeling adjacent forms with "rich fullness." In his earlier works signed Oko, the carving shows earnest strength in each stroke of kebori and katakiribori, though it "has not yet reached the fluent and fully flowing manner seen in works signed Oki" — a distinction the NBTHK draws to chart his artistic maturation.
Across the Juyo record, Oki's work is characterized by compositions of "elevated tone and dignity," whether treating classical literary subjects such as Ise Monogatari or rendering mythological figures with "powerfully masculine" force. The NBTHK repeatedly affirms that his pieces "fully demonstrate the high technical level" of his art, describing them as works "in which Oki fully realized his abilities." His standing is summarized as that of "a key figure among Kyoto metalworkers," and his oeuvre reaffirms the continued vitality of the Otsuki school tradition at its highest level of accomplishment.
Where Oki/Masaoki/Minayama Oki 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 · Yamashiro
21 pieces on the market now
The Otsuki school is a distinguished lineage of Kyoto kinko (metalworkers) whose production spans from the mid-Edo period through the Bakumatsu era, consistently identified by the NBTHK as one of the most eminent metalworking lineages of the capital. " The school also acknowledged its debt to earlier Kyoto masters, with the NBTHK detecting in Mitsuoki's modeling the influence of Umetada Myoju and in his pictorial conception the influence of Kaneie. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Tokuoki篤興 | 1813-1891 | 20 |
| Mitsuoki光興 | 1766-1834 | 12 |
| Hidekuni秀国 | 1670 | 8 |
| Oki/Masaoki/Minayama Oki応起 | 1670 | 7 |
| Harutsura春貫 | — | 6 |
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 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.
This is a kozuka featuring a design of Buddhist altar objects, signed by Masaoki with his kao. Masaoki was a pupil of Otsuki Mitsuoki, a prominent artist in Kyoto during the late Edo period, known for his unique works with a Zen aesthetic. This kozuka is crafted from polished silver with katakiribori and kebori techniques, showcasing intricate chisel work. It comes with an outer box from Ryushido and a calligraphy inscription by Ikeda Takao, and is certified Hozon by the NBTHK.
mei · Otsuki · Edo

Otsuki Oki/Masaoki/Minayama Oki
Edo
Yamashiro
Signed
Hozon (NBTHK)
Machibori · around 1670
Kaizan Oki was a student of Otsuki Mitsuoki (Otsuki Koko) and a central figure in the succession of highly skilled craftsmen that the Otsuki lineage produced during the late Edo period. His common name was Naoichi, and he lived at Nijo in Kyoto. He initially signed his works as Oko, later changing the signature to Oki, and used art-names including Reibokudo and Chikufudo. The NBTHK situates him within a direct line of distinguished Kyoto metalworkers that includes Otsuki Mitsuhiro, Kawarabayashi Hideoki, Tenkodo Hidekuni, and Matsuo Gassan, a group that "enjoyed a period of great prosperity."
Oki's characteristic technique centers on yobori high-relief carving executed on solid gold (kinmuku) or shakudo grounds, brought to completion with oki-kin-iroe and polychrome metal accents in gold, silver, shibuichi, and suaka. His menuki display what the NBTHK describes as "the unrestrained, open manner characteristic of Kyoto machibori," marked by an "outstanding power of direct observation." His chisel control is consistently praised as "smooth and expansive," capable of rendering delicate leaf veins with crisp precision while modeling adjacent forms with "rich fullness." In his earlier works signed Oko, the carving shows earnest strength in each stroke of kebori and katakiribori, though it "has not yet reached the fluent and fully flowing manner seen in works signed Oki" — a distinction the NBTHK draws to chart his artistic maturation.
Across the Juyo record, Oki's work is characterized by compositions of "elevated tone and dignity," whether treating classical literary subjects such as Ise Monogatari or rendering mythological figures with "powerfully masculine" force. The NBTHK repeatedly affirms that his pieces "fully demonstrate the high technical level" of his art, describing them as works "in which Oki fully realized his abilities." His standing is summarized as that of "a key figure among Kyoto metalworkers," and his oeuvre reaffirms the continued vitality of the Otsuki school tradition at its highest level of accomplishment.
Where Oki/Masaoki/Minayama Oki 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 · Yamashiro
21 pieces on the market now
The Otsuki school is a distinguished lineage of Kyoto kinko (metalworkers) whose production spans from the mid-Edo period through the Bakumatsu era, consistently identified by the NBTHK as one of the most eminent metalworking lineages of the capital. " The school also acknowledged its debt to earlier Kyoto masters, with the NBTHK detecting in Mitsuoki's modeling the influence of Umetada Myoju and in his pictorial conception the influence of Kaneie. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Tokuoki篤興 | 1813-1891 | 20 |
| Mitsuoki光興 | 1766-1834 | 12 |
| Hidekuni秀国 | 1670 | 8 |
| Oki/Masaoki/Minayama Oki応起 | 1670 | 7 |
| Harutsura春貫 | — | 6 |
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 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.