This is a tsuba featuring a Shōjō design, crafted by Nomura Kanenori, who resided in Hikone, Omi Province, and later in Edo. It is made of shakudo migaki-ji (polished shakudo ground) with nikuai takabori (high relief carving) and zogan iroe (inlay with colored metals). The tsuba is accompanied by an NBTHK Hozon Tosogu certificate.
Certificate reading — 銘 千英子 野村包教
NihontoWatchKyōhō (c. 1715–1750)
Hikone Kanenori
Kyōhō (c. 1715–1750)
Ōmi
Hozon (NBTHK)
Kinko · Omi · Edo
2 pieces on the market now
Nomura Kanenori, also known as Saburoji and Saburobei, worked under the go Kan'eishi and was a resident of Nakayabu in Hikone, Omi Province. He studied under Mogarashi Soten and is regarded as the foremost master among Soten's students, constituting one of the most influential branches of the Mogarashi lineage. Although said to have lived in Edo, no works bearing an Edo-resident signature are known; all signed pieces instead append the place-name "Resident of Hikone in Goshu" to the inscription. While his birth and death dates are unknown, dated works from the Kyoho era (1721-1724) allow his period of activity in the mid-Edo period to be understood with reasonable clarity.
Kanenori produced both tsuba and fuchi-gashira, working in iron and shakudo with nanako-ji grounds. His manner of work aligns with that of the Mogarashi group, yet his carving is notably "open and unforced--spacious and leisurely," drawing the viewer into a world of subtle profundity. The NBTHK consistently emphasizes his "bold compositional power, together with the exquisitely delicate multi-metal inlay," noting that this combination of imposing scale and refined polychrome zogan with iroe effects "fully conveys the distinctive appeal unique to Kanenori." His takabori and nikubori ji-sukashi techniques are deployed across ambitious narrative compositions drawn from classical literary and mythological subjects, rendered on generously proportioned guards that serve as broad stages for the unfolding of their themes.
Kanenori's significance within the Mogarashi tradition is affirmed in language that places him at the summit of Soten's school. His workmanship is judged "in no way inferior to the masterworks of his teacher Soten," and his finest pieces are designated hakubi--literally "the white eyebrow," the preeminent work among his oeuvre. The NBTHK further notes that his manner recalls the early Mogarashi masterpieces of such contemporaries as Hidenori and Munenori, while additionally presenting "a sternly dignified bearing" that distinguishes his personal idiom within the broader lineage.
Where Kanenori 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.
Kinko · Omi
29 pieces on the market now
The Hikone school of sword fittings -- known as Hikone-bori -- was established at Nakayabu in Hikone, Omi Province, by Mogarashi Nyudo Soten, who settled there after leaving Kyoto and entered the service of the Kawakita family, hereditary vassals of the Hikone domain. One source records that Soten initially trained under the Goto family, citing the Kinko Soran for the existence of works signed "made by Kitagawa Hidenori, a disciple of the Goto," before developing the distinctive carving manner that would define his lineage. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Soten宗典 | Edo | 10 |
| Kanenori包教 | Edo | 3 |
| Masatsugu政次 | Edo | 0 |
| Mitsuyoshi光義 | Edo | 0 |
| Munekata宗賢 | Edo | 0 |
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 siteCooling-off (returns or exchanges) is accepted within 3 days of the item's arrival. Return shipping and refund transfer fees are the customer's responsibility. Fees other than the item price (transfer fees, credit card fees, etc.) cannot be refunded. Returns and refunds are not available for overseas destinations.
This is a tsuba featuring a Shōjō design, crafted by Nomura Kanenori, who resided in Hikone, Omi Province, and later in Edo. It is made of shakudo migaki-ji (polished shakudo ground) with nikuai takabori (high relief carving) and zogan iroe (inlay with colored metals). The tsuba is accompanied by an NBTHK Hozon Tosogu certificate.
Certificate reading — 銘 千英子 野村包教
NihontoWatchKyōhō (c. 1715–1750)
Hikone Kanenori
Kyōhō (c. 1715–1750)
Ōmi
Hozon (NBTHK)
Kinko · Omi · Edo
2 pieces on the market now
Nomura Kanenori, also known as Saburoji and Saburobei, worked under the go Kan'eishi and was a resident of Nakayabu in Hikone, Omi Province. He studied under Mogarashi Soten and is regarded as the foremost master among Soten's students, constituting one of the most influential branches of the Mogarashi lineage. Although said to have lived in Edo, no works bearing an Edo-resident signature are known; all signed pieces instead append the place-name "Resident of Hikone in Goshu" to the inscription. While his birth and death dates are unknown, dated works from the Kyoho era (1721-1724) allow his period of activity in the mid-Edo period to be understood with reasonable clarity.
Kanenori produced both tsuba and fuchi-gashira, working in iron and shakudo with nanako-ji grounds. His manner of work aligns with that of the Mogarashi group, yet his carving is notably "open and unforced--spacious and leisurely," drawing the viewer into a world of subtle profundity. The NBTHK consistently emphasizes his "bold compositional power, together with the exquisitely delicate multi-metal inlay," noting that this combination of imposing scale and refined polychrome zogan with iroe effects "fully conveys the distinctive appeal unique to Kanenori." His takabori and nikubori ji-sukashi techniques are deployed across ambitious narrative compositions drawn from classical literary and mythological subjects, rendered on generously proportioned guards that serve as broad stages for the unfolding of their themes.
Kanenori's significance within the Mogarashi tradition is affirmed in language that places him at the summit of Soten's school. His workmanship is judged "in no way inferior to the masterworks of his teacher Soten," and his finest pieces are designated hakubi--literally "the white eyebrow," the preeminent work among his oeuvre. The NBTHK further notes that his manner recalls the early Mogarashi masterpieces of such contemporaries as Hidenori and Munenori, while additionally presenting "a sternly dignified bearing" that distinguishes his personal idiom within the broader lineage.
Where Kanenori 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.
Kinko · Omi
29 pieces on the market now
The Hikone school of sword fittings -- known as Hikone-bori -- was established at Nakayabu in Hikone, Omi Province, by Mogarashi Nyudo Soten, who settled there after leaving Kyoto and entered the service of the Kawakita family, hereditary vassals of the Hikone domain. One source records that Soten initially trained under the Goto family, citing the Kinko Soran for the existence of works signed "made by Kitagawa Hidenori, a disciple of the Goto," before developing the distinctive carving manner that would define his lineage. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Soten宗典 | Edo | 10 |
| Kanenori包教 | Edo | 3 |
| Masatsugu政次 | Edo | 0 |
| Mitsuyoshi光義 | Edo | 0 |
| Munekata宗賢 | Edo | 0 |
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 siteCooling-off (returns or exchanges) is accepted within 3 days of the item's arrival. Return shipping and refund transfer fees are the customer's responsibility. Fees other than the item price (transfer fees, credit card fees, etc.) cannot be refunded. Returns and refunds are not available for overseas destinations.
