This is a kozuka (small knife handle) featuring a Wakimizu (young water) design, crafted by Kiryusai Somin, who was the fifth generation and used the gō (art name) Kiryusai. It is made of shibuichi with katakiri-kebori (engraving technique) and has a shakudo backplate. The piece comes with an NBTHK Hozon Tosogu certificate.
Certificate reading — 銘 起龍齋宗珉（花押）
NihontoWatchmei · Edo
Yokoya Kiryusai Somin
Edo
Musashi
Signed
Hozon (NBTHK)
Machibori · Edo
3 pieces on the market now
Where Kiryusai Somin 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
101 pieces on the market now
The Yokoya school was the largest metalworking lineage of the Edo period, founded in the early seventeenth century when the first-generation Yokoya Soyo -- sometimes distinguished as "Sofu Soyo" or "Ko-Soyo" -- studied under Goto Injo Mitsutomi and established an independent atelier in Edo. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Somin宗珉 | — | 50 |
| Soyo宗與 | — | 13 |
| Soju宗壽 | — | 3 |
| Yoshisada宜貞 | — | 0 |
| Yasukiyo安精 | — | 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 kozuka (small knife handle) featuring a Wakimizu (young water) design, crafted by Kiryusai Somin, who was the fifth generation and used the gō (art name) Kiryusai. It is made of shibuichi with katakiri-kebori (engraving technique) and has a shakudo backplate. The piece comes with an NBTHK Hozon Tosogu certificate.
Certificate reading — 銘 起龍齋宗珉（花押）
NihontoWatchmei · Edo
Yokoya Kiryusai Somin
Edo
Musashi
Signed
Hozon (NBTHK)
Machibori · Edo
3 pieces on the market now
Where Kiryusai Somin 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
101 pieces on the market now
The Yokoya school was the largest metalworking lineage of the Edo period, founded in the early seventeenth century when the first-generation Yokoya Soyo -- sometimes distinguished as "Sofu Soyo" or "Ko-Soyo" -- studied under Goto Injo Mitsutomi and established an independent atelier in Edo. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Somin宗珉 | — | 50 |
| Soyo宗與 | — | 13 |
| Soju宗壽 | — | 3 |
| Yoshisada宜貞 | — | 0 |
| Yasukiyo安精 | — | 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.
