NihontoWatchNihontoWatchAccompanied by Tokubetsu Hozon Tosogu Kanteisho, Tokubetsu Kicho Tosogu Ninteisho, and a paulownia wood box. Genshushi Kadono Michinaga was a metalworker of the Kadono family who resided in Hikone, Omi Province, and is known as a master craftsman representing Hikone-bori, which draws from the lineage of the Soten school, active around the Kyoho era. This work is a Gunsen-zu sukashi tsuba themed after the immortals passed down in Chinese Taoism, featuring an iron ji fashioned into a circular shape, with trees and rocky mountains expressed three-dimensionally through takaniku-bori and sukashi-bori, and immortals in various poses—such as those reading books, spreading scrolls, or carrying staffs—skillfully arranged around them, with zogan in gold, silver, and suaka applied to the clothing and rocky mountains to create a gorgeous atmosphere through contrast with the calm iron ji, and the expressions of the immortals and the depiction of the folds in their garments are also delicate, allowing one to fully observe the excellent hori techniques of Michinaga. Furthermore, the powerful sense of three-dimensionality from the takaniku-bori and the lightness from the sukashi-bori harmonize beautifully, demonstrating a level of perfection without collapse despite the complex composition, and moreover, the precise fukurin tightens the entire work and adds a high-class atmosphere, making this a superior piece with many highlights that well demonstrates the ability of Michinaga, where the brilliant style unique to Hikone-bori and the auspicious Gunsen motif are beautifully fused.
Certificate reading — 銘 玄珠子 門野往永製 江州 彦根住
NihontoWatchOffered by Toushin
33 on the market
As written by the shop
Machine translation from the shop's Japanese · may contain errors ·
Kinko · Omi
33 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. The school's connection to the broader Mino-bori tradition is also recognized. There were reportedly two generations working under Soten's name, with the first born in Joo 1 (1652) and active from the early through mid-Edo period. From his workshop emerged a circle of accomplished students, chief among them Nomura Kanenori and Munenori, who carried the Hikone-bori manner forward and established it as one of the most distinctive regional styles in the kinko tradition. The technical hallmark of Hikone-bori is sukidashi takabori -- richly modeled high-relief carving executed on generously proportioned iron plates, further enlivened through zogan iroe employing gold, silver, shakudo, and suaka. The NBTHK notes that even among the gold applications, "multiple types of gold are used," producing expansive pictorial fields of considerable chromatic variety.
Subjects encompass warriors, Daoist immortals, elder sages at elegant gatherings, and flowers-and-birds compositions, rendered across the entirety of both surfaces of the guard. The school's masters also demonstrated facility in shakudo work, including nanako-ji plates with high-relief compositions displaying a pronounced Goto-like flavor, as well as nikubori ji-sukashi and polychrome mitokoromono sets. What unifies the school's output is the synthesis of imposing compositional scale with refined polychrome technique. " Munenori's contribution is recognized for its assured command of shakudo nanako-ji ground preparation and boldly modeled takabori, enriched with polychrome iroe employing multiple varieties of gold across both faces -- a sumptuous, animated effect characteristic of the mature Hikone style. The Hikone school's significance within the broader kinko tradition rests on its creation of a distinctively pictorial approach to sword-fitting decoration that stands apart from both the restrained elegance of the Goto mainline and the narrative density of the Yokoya school. The NBTHK's evaluative language converges on a single defining quality: the school's ability to fill expansive iron and shakudo surfaces with ambitious narrative compositions while maintaining compositional coherence and chromatic refinement. " That Soten's overwhelming fame led later makers to adopt his signature on subsequent Hikone-carved works testifies to the enduring authority of the school's founding aesthetic, while the surviving origami documentation -- including one dated Kanbun 5 (1665) from Goto Mitsutomo -- provides valuable evidence for understanding workshop practices and the collaborative production that sustained the Hikone tradition across the early and mid-Edo period. 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 |
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 siteAs a rule we do not accept returns, except when we have sent a different item from the one ordered or when there is a significant discrepancy between the description and the item. If you wish to return an item, please contact us within 3 days of its arrival and then send it back.
¥715,000