This is an old Kacchushi tsuba featuring a left and right sea cucumber openwork design. It has a round rim, iron hammered surface, and double hitsu-ana. Kacchushi tsuba are early iron tsuba with subtle openwork techniques, often attributed to armor makers as a side business.
NihontoWatchBETAKo-Kacchushi · Koto
Ko-Katchushi School
Kotō
Hozon (NBTHK)
Tosho-Katchushi
36 pieces on the market now
The Ko-Katchūshi tradition emerged during the Nanbokuchō and Muromachi periods as armorers (katchūshi) began producing sword guards as an auxiliary craft alongside their primary occupation of armor fabrication. As the uchigatana evolved from a purely utilitarian weapon into an object of aesthetic appreciation, craftsmen who had honed their metalworking skills in forging helmet plates, the small scales (kozane) of armor, and face defenses (menpō) applied this expertise to tsuba production. Learn more →
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 siteReturns/exchanges/cancellations not accepted after shipment except for significant defects; if defective, return/exchange possible within 3 days of arrival (return shipping paid by customer).
This is an old Kacchushi tsuba featuring a left and right sea cucumber openwork design. It has a round rim, iron hammered surface, and double hitsu-ana. Kacchushi tsuba are early iron tsuba with subtle openwork techniques, often attributed to armor makers as a side business.
NihontoWatchBETAKo-Kacchushi · Koto
Ko-Katchushi School
Kotō
Hozon (NBTHK)
Tosho-Katchushi
36 pieces on the market now
The Ko-Katchūshi tradition emerged during the Nanbokuchō and Muromachi periods as armorers (katchūshi) began producing sword guards as an auxiliary craft alongside their primary occupation of armor fabrication. As the uchigatana evolved from a purely utilitarian weapon into an object of aesthetic appreciation, craftsmen who had honed their metalworking skills in forging helmet plates, the small scales (kozane) of armor, and face defenses (menpō) applied this expertise to tsuba production. Learn more →
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 siteReturns/exchanges/cancellations not accepted after shipment except for significant defects; if defective, return/exchange possible within 3 days of arrival (return shipping paid by customer).
