This is an unsigned Higo school tsuba, attributed to Suwa, from the Edo period. It features an iron tsuchime-ji (hammered surface) with a nade-rokkakugata (rounded hexagonal) shape, sukisage-bori (carved in relief) and kage-sukashi (silhouette openwork) depicting cloud patterns. Traces of kin-nunome-zogan (gold fabric-pattern inlay) are also visible, along with a kakumimi-koniku (rounded square rim) and katabitsu-shitate (single hitsu-ana). The iron has excellent texture, giving the tsuba a simple yet powerful aesthetic. It comes with an NBTHK Hozon Tosogu certificate and a dedicated paulownia wood box.
Certificate reading — 無銘（諏訪）
NihontoWatchBETAmumei · Higo · Edo
Higo Kinko School
Edo
Higo
Unsigned
Hozon (NBTHK)
Higo · Higo
142 pieces on the market now
The Higo kinkō (肥後金工) tradition comprises the metalworkers who flourished in Higo province (modern Kumamoto) under the patronage of the Hosokawa daimyō house, from the Momoyama period into the late Edo period. Four families — Hayashi, Hirata, Nishigaki, and Shimizu — are regarded as representing the main line, and the first-generation masters of each were all retained by Hosokawa Sansai (Tadaoki), famed as a great commander and an accomplished master of the tea ceremony, and received his guidance. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Tani Denji谷伝次 | — | 1 |
| Misumi Masaharu三角正治 | — | 0 |
| Suwa Ikuhei諏訪幾平 | 1832-1903 | 0 |
| Miyamoto Musashi宮本武蔵 | 1584-1645 | 5 |
| Kobayashi Takatada小林隆忠 | — | 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 siteFor one-of-a-kind items such as swords, sword fittings, and antiques, please contact us about a return within 3 days of the item's arrival and ship it back within 8 days. Refunds are issued the same day the returned item arrives.
This is an unsigned Higo school tsuba, attributed to Suwa, from the Edo period. It features an iron tsuchime-ji (hammered surface) with a nade-rokkakugata (rounded hexagonal) shape, sukisage-bori (carved in relief) and kage-sukashi (silhouette openwork) depicting cloud patterns. Traces of kin-nunome-zogan (gold fabric-pattern inlay) are also visible, along with a kakumimi-koniku (rounded square rim) and katabitsu-shitate (single hitsu-ana). The iron has excellent texture, giving the tsuba a simple yet powerful aesthetic. It comes with an NBTHK Hozon Tosogu certificate and a dedicated paulownia wood box.
Certificate reading — 無銘（諏訪）
NihontoWatchBETAmumei · Higo · Edo
Higo Kinko School
Edo
Higo
Unsigned
Hozon (NBTHK)
Higo · Higo
142 pieces on the market now
The Higo kinkō (肥後金工) tradition comprises the metalworkers who flourished in Higo province (modern Kumamoto) under the patronage of the Hosokawa daimyō house, from the Momoyama period into the late Edo period. Four families — Hayashi, Hirata, Nishigaki, and Shimizu — are regarded as representing the main line, and the first-generation masters of each were all retained by Hosokawa Sansai (Tadaoki), famed as a great commander and an accomplished master of the tea ceremony, and received his guidance. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Tani Denji谷伝次 | — | 1 |
| Misumi Masaharu三角正治 | — | 0 |
| Suwa Ikuhei諏訪幾平 | 1832-1903 | 0 |
| Miyamoto Musashi宮本武蔵 | 1584-1645 | 5 |
| Kobayashi Takatada小林隆忠 | — | 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 siteFor one-of-a-kind items such as swords, sword fittings, and antiques, please contact us about a return within 3 days of the item's arrival and ship it back within 8 days. Refunds are issued the same day the returned item arrives.
![Tsuba - Hozon - by Higo Kinko School - Mumei Higo Siho-matsukawabishi-shige-sukashi-Tsuba [NBTHK Hozon Tosogu]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fitbhfhyptogxcjbjfzwx.supabase.co%2Fstorage%2Fv1%2Fobject%2Fpublic%2Flisting-images%2Fworld-seiyudo%2FL32423%2F00.jpg&w=2560&q=90)
