This is a kozuka by Ishiguro Masatsune (2nd Gen.), a leader of the Ishiguro school within the Yokoya lineage during the Edo period. This piece, signed 'Masamori' in his youth, is rare. It features a refined depiction of plum trees, showcasing a quiet scene rather than the flamboyant flower-and-bird style he is known for.
NihontoWatch
Ishiguro Masatsune
Edo
Signed
Hozon (NBTHK)
Machibori · Musashi
1 piece on the market now
Ishiguro Masatsune (stone inscription: 石黒政常), born in Horeki 10 (1760), was the founding master of the Ishiguro school of metalworkers and one of the most celebrated machibori (town-carving) artists of the late Edo period. He first apprenticed under Kato Naotsune of the Yanagawa branch, and subsequently studied with Yanagawa Naomasa himself, both part of the broader Yokoya lineage. Upon establishing independence, Masatsune combined one character from each teacher's name — masa (政) from Naomasa and tsune (常) from Naotsune — to form his professional name. He used the art names Togakushi (東嶽子, later written 東岳子) and, after passing the age of sixty, signed works as "Ishiguro-sai Jumyo Masatsune." His school attracted many gifted pupils, including Masayoshi, Masaaki, Koretsune, Masahide, and Masahiro, and the Ishiguro lineage continued to flourish through successive generations into the Meiji period. He died in Bunsei 11 (1828) at the age of sixty-nine.
Masatsune's technical command encompassed the full repertoire of the kinko metalworker. His favored ground was shakudo finished with an impeccably regular nanako-ji, praised in designation records for its orderly precision. Upon this deep-black surface he executed designs primarily in takabori (high relief) enriched with iroe (polychrome inlay), deploying a remarkable palette of colored metals — gold, silver, shibuichi, suaka (scarlet copper), oborogin, and hi-irodo — to achieve effects of brilliant yet controlled chromatic richness. His menuki demonstrate equal mastery of yobori (sculptural carving) and nikubori (fleshed relief) on solid gold grounds, often employing okigane (applied metal) and suemon-zogan (applied inlay). A pair of dragon menuki reveals his command of the dashi-keshi method and precise sankaku-tagane (triangular chisel) work adapted from the Goto iebori tradition. Whether rendering the minutely differentiated plumage of a raptor, the undulating force of ocean waves expressed through polished relief with gold and silver ro-zogan (dew inlay), or the delicate color gradations in a pheasant's breast, Masatsune's chisel strokes are characterized by an honest, finely detailed manner and a clean final polish that imparts an air of dignified refinement.
Masatsune's artistic significance rests upon his transformation of the Yanagawa manner into a distinctly personal idiom centered on bird-and-flower subjects and birds of prey — themes that became the hallmarks of his school. His compositions make masterful use of open space, creating what the NBTHK examiners repeatedly describe as a "clear and limpid spirit." Yet within this decorative brilliance there persists a martial vigor suited to warrior taste, a quality that distinguishes the first generation's work from the more purely ornamental output of later Ishiguro artists. His oeuvre spans tsuba, fuchi-kashira, kozuka, kogai, menuki, and complete soroe-kanagu sets, demonstrating equal facility across every format of sword fitting. As an artist who bridged the Yokoya lineage's classical discipline and the expressive naturalism of the Bunka-Bunsei cultural efflorescence, Masatsune stands among the foremost representative metalworkers of Edo-period Japan.
Where Masatsune 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
22 pieces on the market now
The Ishiguro school was founded by Ishiguro Masatsune, born in Horeki 10 (1760), who trained under Kato Naotsune and Yanagawa Naomasa within the broader Yokoya lineage before establishing an independent atelier that would become one of the most celebrated machibori ("town carving") workshops of the late Edo period. Masatsune combined one character from each teacher's name to form his professional identity, and under the art name Togakushi he attracted a succession of gifted pupils -- Masayoshi, Masaaki, Koretsune (his eldest son), Koreyoshi, Masahide, and Masahiro -- who carried the school's distinctive manner through the final decades of the Tokugawa period and into the Meiji era. Centered in Edo, the Ishiguro lineage operated within the machibori sphere, producing fittings for discerning warrior-class and merchant patrons rather than under the hereditary commissions of the Goto iebori tradition, a commercial independence that fostered pictorial ambition and technical innovation. The collective technical identity of the Ishiguro school is defined by a painterly naturalism executed through takabori upon shakudo nanako-ji grounds, enriched by lavish polychrome iroe employing an unusually wide palette of colored metals -- gold, silver, shibuichi, suaka (scarlet copper), oborogin, and hi-irodo. The school's signature subjects are kacho-zu (flowers and birds), rendered with a naturalistic, sketch-like fidelity grounded in close observation from life. Masatsune established this direction, transforming the Yanagawa manner into a personal idiom centered on birds of prey and bird-and-flower compositions that became the hallmarks of the house. His works are characterized by an "honest, finely detailed manner" and a "clear and limpid spirit" achieved through masterful use of open space. Masayoshi, who succeeded as third head, brought the school's painterly idiom to its fullest expression: front and reverse surfaces are linked through continuous branches and contrasting water motifs, male and female birds are paired with deliberate compositional care, and the interplay of a-un expression lends narrative depth to each scene.
His compositions on iron migaki-ji grounds demonstrate equal command, with kin-sunago zogan evoking atmospheric haze. " Koretsune served as vital link between the founder and the school's later flourishing, with takabori described as "dignified and sumptuous, yet steadfast and reliable," and a command of perspective achieved by subtly modulating surface depth. Koreyoshi, credited with ability "surpassing that of his father" Masayoshi, brought the school's character to its fullest late-period expression, producing work likened to the nishiki-e color woodblock prints of the age. The Ishiguro school's significance within the tosogu canon rests upon its transformation of the Yokoya-Yanagawa classical discipline into a pictorial art of extraordinary chromatic richness and compositional sophistication. Where earlier metalworking traditions relied predominantly on monochrome shakudo or gold tonalities, the Ishiguro masters deployed polychrome iroe with a sumptuousness "that never lapses into vulgarity" -- a balance of brilliance and restraint that defines the school's aesthetic. Masatsune's founding generation retained a martial vigor suited to warrior taste that distinguished his work from the "more purely ornamental output of later Ishiguro artists," while the successive generations of Masayoshi, Masaaki, and Koreyoshi progressively refined the school's decorative vocabulary toward an opulence that mirrored the cultural efflorescence of the Bunka-Bunsei era. Complete soroe-kanagu sets and unified issaku suites represent the school's highest achievement, demonstrating rigorous thematic coherence across every component of a mounting. The NBTHK has consistently praised the school's finest works as pieces in which "the Ishiguro school's distinctive character" is left "nothing unexpressed," and the tradition's enduring legacy is that of a workshop which, across four generations, brought the art of polychrome metalwork to its most accomplished and visually resplendent expression in Edo-period Japan. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Masayoshi政美 | — | 29 |
| Masatsune政常 | — | 17 |
| Masaaki政明 | — | 19 |
| Koreyoshi是美 | — | 4 |
| Koretsune是常 | — | 4 |
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 siteCustomer-initiated returns accepted within two days of arrival; return shipping paid by customer and fees non-refundable. Returns/refunds unavailable for overseas deliveries.
This is a kozuka by Ishiguro Masatsune (2nd Gen.), a leader of the Ishiguro school within the Yokoya lineage during the Edo period. This piece, signed 'Masamori' in his youth, is rare. It features a refined depiction of plum trees, showcasing a quiet scene rather than the flamboyant flower-and-bird style he is known for.
NihontoWatchIshiguro Masatsune
Edo
Signed
Hozon (NBTHK)
Machibori · Musashi
1 piece on the market now
Ishiguro Masatsune (stone inscription: 石黒政常), born in Horeki 10 (1760), was the founding master of the Ishiguro school of metalworkers and one of the most celebrated machibori (town-carving) artists of the late Edo period. He first apprenticed under Kato Naotsune of the Yanagawa branch, and subsequently studied with Yanagawa Naomasa himself, both part of the broader Yokoya lineage. Upon establishing independence, Masatsune combined one character from each teacher's name — masa (政) from Naomasa and tsune (常) from Naotsune — to form his professional name. He used the art names Togakushi (東嶽子, later written 東岳子) and, after passing the age of sixty, signed works as "Ishiguro-sai Jumyo Masatsune." His school attracted many gifted pupils, including Masayoshi, Masaaki, Koretsune, Masahide, and Masahiro, and the Ishiguro lineage continued to flourish through successive generations into the Meiji period. He died in Bunsei 11 (1828) at the age of sixty-nine.
Masatsune's technical command encompassed the full repertoire of the kinko metalworker. His favored ground was shakudo finished with an impeccably regular nanako-ji, praised in designation records for its orderly precision. Upon this deep-black surface he executed designs primarily in takabori (high relief) enriched with iroe (polychrome inlay), deploying a remarkable palette of colored metals — gold, silver, shibuichi, suaka (scarlet copper), oborogin, and hi-irodo — to achieve effects of brilliant yet controlled chromatic richness. His menuki demonstrate equal mastery of yobori (sculptural carving) and nikubori (fleshed relief) on solid gold grounds, often employing okigane (applied metal) and suemon-zogan (applied inlay). A pair of dragon menuki reveals his command of the dashi-keshi method and precise sankaku-tagane (triangular chisel) work adapted from the Goto iebori tradition. Whether rendering the minutely differentiated plumage of a raptor, the undulating force of ocean waves expressed through polished relief with gold and silver ro-zogan (dew inlay), or the delicate color gradations in a pheasant's breast, Masatsune's chisel strokes are characterized by an honest, finely detailed manner and a clean final polish that imparts an air of dignified refinement.
Masatsune's artistic significance rests upon his transformation of the Yanagawa manner into a distinctly personal idiom centered on bird-and-flower subjects and birds of prey — themes that became the hallmarks of his school. His compositions make masterful use of open space, creating what the NBTHK examiners repeatedly describe as a "clear and limpid spirit." Yet within this decorative brilliance there persists a martial vigor suited to warrior taste, a quality that distinguishes the first generation's work from the more purely ornamental output of later Ishiguro artists. His oeuvre spans tsuba, fuchi-kashira, kozuka, kogai, menuki, and complete soroe-kanagu sets, demonstrating equal facility across every format of sword fitting. As an artist who bridged the Yokoya lineage's classical discipline and the expressive naturalism of the Bunka-Bunsei cultural efflorescence, Masatsune stands among the foremost representative metalworkers of Edo-period Japan.
Where Masatsune 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
22 pieces on the market now
The Ishiguro school was founded by Ishiguro Masatsune, born in Horeki 10 (1760), who trained under Kato Naotsune and Yanagawa Naomasa within the broader Yokoya lineage before establishing an independent atelier that would become one of the most celebrated machibori ("town carving") workshops of the late Edo period. Masatsune combined one character from each teacher's name to form his professional identity, and under the art name Togakushi he attracted a succession of gifted pupils -- Masayoshi, Masaaki, Koretsune (his eldest son), Koreyoshi, Masahide, and Masahiro -- who carried the school's distinctive manner through the final decades of the Tokugawa period and into the Meiji era. Centered in Edo, the Ishiguro lineage operated within the machibori sphere, producing fittings for discerning warrior-class and merchant patrons rather than under the hereditary commissions of the Goto iebori tradition, a commercial independence that fostered pictorial ambition and technical innovation. The collective technical identity of the Ishiguro school is defined by a painterly naturalism executed through takabori upon shakudo nanako-ji grounds, enriched by lavish polychrome iroe employing an unusually wide palette of colored metals -- gold, silver, shibuichi, suaka (scarlet copper), oborogin, and hi-irodo. The school's signature subjects are kacho-zu (flowers and birds), rendered with a naturalistic, sketch-like fidelity grounded in close observation from life. Masatsune established this direction, transforming the Yanagawa manner into a personal idiom centered on birds of prey and bird-and-flower compositions that became the hallmarks of the house. His works are characterized by an "honest, finely detailed manner" and a "clear and limpid spirit" achieved through masterful use of open space. Masayoshi, who succeeded as third head, brought the school's painterly idiom to its fullest expression: front and reverse surfaces are linked through continuous branches and contrasting water motifs, male and female birds are paired with deliberate compositional care, and the interplay of a-un expression lends narrative depth to each scene.
His compositions on iron migaki-ji grounds demonstrate equal command, with kin-sunago zogan evoking atmospheric haze. " Koretsune served as vital link between the founder and the school's later flourishing, with takabori described as "dignified and sumptuous, yet steadfast and reliable," and a command of perspective achieved by subtly modulating surface depth. Koreyoshi, credited with ability "surpassing that of his father" Masayoshi, brought the school's character to its fullest late-period expression, producing work likened to the nishiki-e color woodblock prints of the age. The Ishiguro school's significance within the tosogu canon rests upon its transformation of the Yokoya-Yanagawa classical discipline into a pictorial art of extraordinary chromatic richness and compositional sophistication. Where earlier metalworking traditions relied predominantly on monochrome shakudo or gold tonalities, the Ishiguro masters deployed polychrome iroe with a sumptuousness "that never lapses into vulgarity" -- a balance of brilliance and restraint that defines the school's aesthetic. Masatsune's founding generation retained a martial vigor suited to warrior taste that distinguished his work from the "more purely ornamental output of later Ishiguro artists," while the successive generations of Masayoshi, Masaaki, and Koreyoshi progressively refined the school's decorative vocabulary toward an opulence that mirrored the cultural efflorescence of the Bunka-Bunsei era. Complete soroe-kanagu sets and unified issaku suites represent the school's highest achievement, demonstrating rigorous thematic coherence across every component of a mounting. The NBTHK has consistently praised the school's finest works as pieces in which "the Ishiguro school's distinctive character" is left "nothing unexpressed," and the tradition's enduring legacy is that of a workshop which, across four generations, brought the art of polychrome metalwork to its most accomplished and visually resplendent expression in Edo-period Japan. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Masayoshi政美 | — | 29 |
| Masatsune政常 | — | 17 |
| Masaaki政明 | — | 19 |
| Koreyoshi是美 | — | 4 |
| Koretsune是常 | — | 4 |
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 siteCustomer-initiated returns accepted within two days of arrival; return shipping paid by customer and fees non-refundable. Returns/refunds unavailable for overseas deliveries.
