This is a tsuba attributed to Hayashi Shigemitsu of the Hayashi School in Higo Province, dating to the Early Edo Period. The polished iron tsuba features rounded edges and openwork carving, characteristic of Shigemitsu's style as the second master of the Hayashi School.
Certificate reading — 無銘（林）
NihontoWatchmumei · Hayashi · Edo
Hayashi School
Edo
Higo
Unsigned
Tokuho (NBTHK)
Higo · Higo
29 pieces on the market now
The Hayashi school of Higo metalworkers traces its origins to Hayashi Matahichi, founder of the lineage, who was born in Kumamoto in Keichō 18 (1613). His personal name was Seisaburō Shigeharu, and "Matahichi" served as his professional art name.
The family's ancestral roots lay in Owari Province, where they worked as gunsmiths (teppō kaji), though tradition holds they also produced tsuba from time to time. In the generation of Matahichi's father, Seibei, the family relocated to Higo Kumamoto in service to Katō Kiyomasa as gunsmiths. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Matashichi又七 | — | 52 |
| Shigemitsu重光 | — | 11 |
| Shigeyuki重之 | — | 0 |
| Matahachi又八 | — | 0 |
| Toshichi藤七 | — | 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 siteThis is a tsuba attributed to Hayashi Shigemitsu of the Hayashi School in Higo Province, dating to the Early Edo Period. The polished iron tsuba features rounded edges and openwork carving, characteristic of Shigemitsu's style as the second master of the Hayashi School.
Certificate reading — 無銘（林）
NihontoWatchmumei · Hayashi · Edo
Hayashi School
Edo
Higo
Unsigned
Tokuho (NBTHK)
Higo · Higo
29 pieces on the market now
The Hayashi school of Higo metalworkers traces its origins to Hayashi Matahichi, founder of the lineage, who was born in Kumamoto in Keichō 18 (1613). His personal name was Seisaburō Shigeharu, and "Matahichi" served as his professional art name.
The family's ancestral roots lay in Owari Province, where they worked as gunsmiths (teppō kaji), though tradition holds they also produced tsuba from time to time. In the generation of Matahichi's father, Seibei, the family relocated to Higo Kumamoto in service to Katō Kiyomasa as gunsmiths. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Matashichi又七 | — | 52 |
| Shigemitsu重光 | — | 11 |
| Shigeyuki重之 | — | 0 |
| Matahachi又八 | — | 0 |
| Toshichi藤七 | — | 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 site
