This is an oval-shaped Edo period Tsuba featuring a Sanyu Zu (three friends) theme, depicting people, clouds, and trees in a semi-three-dimensional engraving. Some parts are colored with gold, silver, or brownish paints, adding a decorative appearance. The Tsuba is signed, though parts of the signature are unreadable.
NihontoWatch
Iwamoto Konkan
Edo
Signed
Machibori · Musashi
2 pieces on the market now
Iwamoto Konkan was born in Edo in the first year of Enkyo (1744) under the family name Asai. He initially used the given name Ryo, later changing it to Konkan. Because the fifth-generation head Ryokan died young, Konkan — who had been a junior fellow disciple — succeeded as the sixth-generation head of the Iwamoto house. The Iwamoto lineage was originally of the Yokoya tradition; however, Konkan studied the carving methods of the Nara school, centering especially on the work of Yasuchika. By incorporating the strengths of both the Yokoya and Nara schools and bringing them to completion, he established an artistic manner that is distinctly Edomae — thoroughly stylish and quintessentially iki in the true Edo sense[[c:1]]. He also used the art name Hakuhotei and the studio name Shushodō.
Konkan's technical range is remarkable for its breadth and consistency at the highest level. He worked with equal command across shakudō, shibuichi, suaka, brass (shinchū), and polished iron (tetsu migaki-ji), employing grounds from precisely executed nanako-ji to chirimen-ishime-ji and migaki-ji. His signature method combines deeply emphatic takabori with suemon-zōgan and polychrome metal inlay (iroe) in gold, silver, shakudō, shibuichi, and copper, at times further enriched with aogai shell and oborogin. His carving extends from bold high relief to the delicate precision of kebori line work, sukidashi-bori, and openwork (sukashi), with triangular chisel marks (sankaku-tagane) applied for forceful emphasis. Whether rendering the individual scales of a fish, the faint glow of a hazy moon through scattered suaka fragments, or the flowing surface of a river, his chisel work achieves minute detail[[c:4]] without sacrificing compositional dynamism. His favored subjects — birds, fish, dragons, and landscape scenes — are expressed with vivid life and a realism that conveys the sense of imminent motion.
Konkan stands as one of the foremost Edo-period tōsōgu artists, a master whose synthesis of the Yokoya and Nara traditions produced something distinctly his own. His works demonstrate outstanding compositional power[[c:2]], a capacity to integrate generous open space with concentrated narrative, and an exceptional harmony of colored metals. From formally matched aoi-mon koshirae executed on commission to freely conceived naturalistic subjects, from the solemn majesty of a Dainichi Nyorai tsuba to the spirited immediacy of a cormorant-fishing scene, his oeuvre reveals broad-ranging technical ability united by a consistent artistic personality. The deep, emphatic carving, the careful advance planning in execution[[c:3]] and overall conception, and the thoroughly urbane sensibility that characterizes his output together confirm Konkan's place among the leading practitioners of the naturalistic, sketch-from-life approach in late Edo metalwork.
Where Konkan 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
11 pieces on the market now
The Iwamoto school was a house of Edo machibori (町彫) metalworkers, founded in the early eighteenth century by Iwamoto Chūbei, a pupil of the Yokoya school, and continuing through eight generations of headmasters. As the NBTHK setsumei state repeatedly, "the Iwamoto line was originally of the Yokoya tradition," and the school's history turns on a succession crisis within that lineage: when the fifth-generation master Ryōkan died young, his junior fellow-disciple succeeded as sixth head of the Iwamoto house. This was Iwamoto Konkan, born in Edo in Enkyō 1 (1744), whose original family name was Asai and who first used the name Ryō (also read Ryōun) before changing it to Konkan. " He also signed with the art names Shunshōdō (春曙堂) and Hakuhōtei (白峯亭). The line continued through Iwamoto Kanri, common name Kijūrō, who first studied under Konkan, was later adopted by him, and succeeded as seventh head; the school's orbit also included the pupil Konju, who lived at Kōjimachi in Edo. The school's collective style rests on this synthesis of Yokoya sculptural discipline and Nara-school carving methods. Its preferred vocabulary is shakudō (赤銅) with nanako-ji (魚子地) ground, worked in takabori (高彫) high relief with suemon-zōgan (据紋象嵌) and polychrome iroe (色絵) in gold, silver, shibuichi (四分一), and suaka (素銅) copper; but the setsumei attest an unusually broad range of grounds — shibuichi and iron in polished migaki-ji (磨地), chirimen-ishime-ji[[c:1]], brass ishime-ji, and gold — together with sukidashi-bori (鋤出彫), sukishita-bori, relief-carved openwork, fine kebori (毛彫), and inlaid aogai (青貝) mother-of-pearl, set even into the eyes of fish.
The distinctive triangular chisel (sankaku-tagane 三角鏨) recurs as a house hallmark, as does a masterful command of negative space and calculated composition, with obverse and reverse conceived in deliberate contrast. Favored subjects are drawn from nature observed with startling fidelity: the uo-zukushi (魚尽) arrays of fish "rendered with such precision that one feels each individual species could be identified," each scale and backbone carved line by line; herons among reeds; pheasants under a hazy moon; carp gliding through waterweed; alongside shishi, orchids, chrysanthemums, dragons, landscape narratives such as cormorant fishing and the Chōfu Tamagawa, and even Buddhist imagery of Dainichi Nyorai and Niō. The setsumei judge Konkan to have "ranked among the foremost artists of the naturalistic, sketch-from-life approach," while a fully matched aoi-crest mounting shows the school equally capable of orthodox, formal commissioned work. The Iwamoto school's place in the tosogu canon rests above all on Konkan, counted among the leading Edo metalworkers and habitually praised in the setsumei with the phrase "Edomae no iki" — the quintessential stylishness of Edo; his fame is further reflected in the extensive forgery of his signature. Works transmitted in the Tsugaru and Sakai daimyō families attest the esteem his oeuvre commanded. The tradition did not end with him: Kanri "followed his teacher's manner closely and, after Konkan, produced a number of powerful works," while Konju's carving, "taut and controlled" in the master's likeness, carried the inlay-centered iroe methods forward. Wide-ranging in subject and prolific in output, the school stands as one of the defining expressions of late-Edo machibori art — a lineage in which the strengths of the Yokoya and Nara traditions were fused into a single, unmistakably urbane style. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Konkan昆寛 | — | 51 |
| Kanri寛利 | 1670 | 3 |
| Masakatsu政克 (Masamoto | — | 0 |
| Soei宗栄 | — | 0 |
| Ikkan一寛 | — | 0 |
We could not find an authenticity certificate on the seller’s listing. Japanese swords and fittings are normally papered by the NBTHK (or the NTHK). Without one, the attribution is the seller’s own assessment and has not been independently verified — treat it with caution and ask the dealer about certification before buying.
Returns/exchanges limited to defects caused by shipping (except willful misconduct or gross negligence by the company); customers must contact within 72 hours of receiving the product.
This is an oval-shaped Edo period Tsuba featuring a Sanyu Zu (three friends) theme, depicting people, clouds, and trees in a semi-three-dimensional engraving. Some parts are colored with gold, silver, or brownish paints, adding a decorative appearance. The Tsuba is signed, though parts of the signature are unreadable.
NihontoWatchIwamoto Konkan
Edo
Signed
Machibori · Musashi
2 pieces on the market now
Iwamoto Konkan was born in Edo in the first year of Enkyo (1744) under the family name Asai. He initially used the given name Ryo, later changing it to Konkan. Because the fifth-generation head Ryokan died young, Konkan — who had been a junior fellow disciple — succeeded as the sixth-generation head of the Iwamoto house. The Iwamoto lineage was originally of the Yokoya tradition; however, Konkan studied the carving methods of the Nara school, centering especially on the work of Yasuchika. By incorporating the strengths of both the Yokoya and Nara schools and bringing them to completion, he established an artistic manner that is distinctly Edomae — thoroughly stylish and quintessentially iki in the true Edo sense[[c:1]]. He also used the art name Hakuhotei and the studio name Shushodō.
Konkan's technical range is remarkable for its breadth and consistency at the highest level. He worked with equal command across shakudō, shibuichi, suaka, brass (shinchū), and polished iron (tetsu migaki-ji), employing grounds from precisely executed nanako-ji to chirimen-ishime-ji and migaki-ji. His signature method combines deeply emphatic takabori with suemon-zōgan and polychrome metal inlay (iroe) in gold, silver, shakudō, shibuichi, and copper, at times further enriched with aogai shell and oborogin. His carving extends from bold high relief to the delicate precision of kebori line work, sukidashi-bori, and openwork (sukashi), with triangular chisel marks (sankaku-tagane) applied for forceful emphasis. Whether rendering the individual scales of a fish, the faint glow of a hazy moon through scattered suaka fragments, or the flowing surface of a river, his chisel work achieves minute detail[[c:4]] without sacrificing compositional dynamism. His favored subjects — birds, fish, dragons, and landscape scenes — are expressed with vivid life and a realism that conveys the sense of imminent motion.
Konkan stands as one of the foremost Edo-period tōsōgu artists, a master whose synthesis of the Yokoya and Nara traditions produced something distinctly his own. His works demonstrate outstanding compositional power[[c:2]], a capacity to integrate generous open space with concentrated narrative, and an exceptional harmony of colored metals. From formally matched aoi-mon koshirae executed on commission to freely conceived naturalistic subjects, from the solemn majesty of a Dainichi Nyorai tsuba to the spirited immediacy of a cormorant-fishing scene, his oeuvre reveals broad-ranging technical ability united by a consistent artistic personality. The deep, emphatic carving, the careful advance planning in execution[[c:3]] and overall conception, and the thoroughly urbane sensibility that characterizes his output together confirm Konkan's place among the leading practitioners of the naturalistic, sketch-from-life approach in late Edo metalwork.
Where Konkan 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
11 pieces on the market now
The Iwamoto school was a house of Edo machibori (町彫) metalworkers, founded in the early eighteenth century by Iwamoto Chūbei, a pupil of the Yokoya school, and continuing through eight generations of headmasters. As the NBTHK setsumei state repeatedly, "the Iwamoto line was originally of the Yokoya tradition," and the school's history turns on a succession crisis within that lineage: when the fifth-generation master Ryōkan died young, his junior fellow-disciple succeeded as sixth head of the Iwamoto house. This was Iwamoto Konkan, born in Edo in Enkyō 1 (1744), whose original family name was Asai and who first used the name Ryō (also read Ryōun) before changing it to Konkan. " He also signed with the art names Shunshōdō (春曙堂) and Hakuhōtei (白峯亭). The line continued through Iwamoto Kanri, common name Kijūrō, who first studied under Konkan, was later adopted by him, and succeeded as seventh head; the school's orbit also included the pupil Konju, who lived at Kōjimachi in Edo. The school's collective style rests on this synthesis of Yokoya sculptural discipline and Nara-school carving methods. Its preferred vocabulary is shakudō (赤銅) with nanako-ji (魚子地) ground, worked in takabori (高彫) high relief with suemon-zōgan (据紋象嵌) and polychrome iroe (色絵) in gold, silver, shibuichi (四分一), and suaka (素銅) copper; but the setsumei attest an unusually broad range of grounds — shibuichi and iron in polished migaki-ji (磨地), chirimen-ishime-ji[[c:1]], brass ishime-ji, and gold — together with sukidashi-bori (鋤出彫), sukishita-bori, relief-carved openwork, fine kebori (毛彫), and inlaid aogai (青貝) mother-of-pearl, set even into the eyes of fish.
The distinctive triangular chisel (sankaku-tagane 三角鏨) recurs as a house hallmark, as does a masterful command of negative space and calculated composition, with obverse and reverse conceived in deliberate contrast. Favored subjects are drawn from nature observed with startling fidelity: the uo-zukushi (魚尽) arrays of fish "rendered with such precision that one feels each individual species could be identified," each scale and backbone carved line by line; herons among reeds; pheasants under a hazy moon; carp gliding through waterweed; alongside shishi, orchids, chrysanthemums, dragons, landscape narratives such as cormorant fishing and the Chōfu Tamagawa, and even Buddhist imagery of Dainichi Nyorai and Niō. The setsumei judge Konkan to have "ranked among the foremost artists of the naturalistic, sketch-from-life approach," while a fully matched aoi-crest mounting shows the school equally capable of orthodox, formal commissioned work. The Iwamoto school's place in the tosogu canon rests above all on Konkan, counted among the leading Edo metalworkers and habitually praised in the setsumei with the phrase "Edomae no iki" — the quintessential stylishness of Edo; his fame is further reflected in the extensive forgery of his signature. Works transmitted in the Tsugaru and Sakai daimyō families attest the esteem his oeuvre commanded. The tradition did not end with him: Kanri "followed his teacher's manner closely and, after Konkan, produced a number of powerful works," while Konju's carving, "taut and controlled" in the master's likeness, carried the inlay-centered iroe methods forward. Wide-ranging in subject and prolific in output, the school stands as one of the defining expressions of late-Edo machibori art — a lineage in which the strengths of the Yokoya and Nara traditions were fused into a single, unmistakably urbane style. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Konkan昆寛 | — | 51 |
| Kanri寛利 | 1670 | 3 |
| Masakatsu政克 (Masamoto | — | 0 |
| Soei宗栄 | — | 0 |
| Ikkan一寛 | — | 0 |
We could not find an authenticity certificate on the seller’s listing. Japanese swords and fittings are normally papered by the NBTHK (or the NTHK). Without one, the attribution is the seller’s own assessment and has not been independently verified — treat it with caution and ask the dealer about certification before buying.
Returns/exchanges limited to defects caused by shipping (except willful misconduct or gross negligence by the company); customers must contact within 72 hours of receiving the product.
