It has arrived, it has arrived! A precious kozuka by Joshin, the 3rd generation of the Goto family, who has held the status of a deity in the world of tosogu since ancient times. Joshin was Yoshihisa, the 3rd head of the Goto main line. He was called Jiro and used the name Shirobei. The first generation Yujo, the second generation Sojo, and the third generation Joshin are called the Goto Kamigandai (First Three Generations), and have been valued and deified as extremely expensive and important since antiquity. This Joshin was born in the Muromachi period, Eisho 9 (1512) (512 years ago), as the eldest son of the 2nd generation Sojo. He served the Shoguns Ashikaga Yoshiharu and Yoshiteru as a samurai. On May 5th, Kyoroku 1 (1528) (496 years ago), when bandits attacked the residence of the 13th Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiharu, Joshin fought bravely with his sword and drove off many of the attackers; Joshin was 16 years old at the time. For his fortitude as a samurai and his heroic deeds at that time, he was granted family crests such as the Shobu (iris) by Emperor Go-Nara. In Eiroku 5 (1562) (462 years ago), in the family territory of Omi Sakamoto held since Yujo's time, he joined the Omi Sengoku Daimyo Rokkaku Yoshitaka—who had assisted the 13th Shogun Yoshiharu and Ashikaga Yoshiteru—to battle the opposing forces of Azai Nagasawa, and died an honorable death in battle on the lake. He is recognized throughout the land as a fierce and brave samurai. Because of his stouthearted character, a small number of powerful works like this kozuka remain. During the Muromachi period, the production of kozuka was scarce, and because Goto family works were wonderfully precious among the Daimyo, and formal Daimyo sashiryo required a high-prestige mitokoromono consisting of Goto family menuki, kozuka, and kogai, there was a need to intentionally convert kogai into kozuka. This is such a converted kozuka, featuring myoga (Japanese ginger) and byo (rivets) in takabori on a shakudo nanako-ji base. The carving is high, large, bold, and magnificent; one can only be astonished by the power of Joshin’s design of myoga and rivets. On this occasion, an old sukisha (connoisseur) entrusted this to us, saying they have grown old and wish for it to be passed on cheaply to the next generation. Originally, works of the Goto Kamigandai are not officially attributed unless they bear a kiwame-mei by a later Goto family head, but this kozuka is so typical that no matter who looks at it or from where it is viewed, it is instantly recognizable as the work of the 3rd generation Goto Joshin. We are offering this rare, magnificent, and scarce work by Goto Joshin at a special low price. Please enjoy it.
Certificate reading — 無銘（乗真）
NihontoWatchmumei · Muromachi
Goto Joshin
Muromachi
近江
Unsigned
Hozon (NBTHK)
Iebori · Yamashiro · around 1512-1562
6 pieces on the market now
Goto Joshin, the third head of the mainline Goto house, was the legitimate son of the second master, Sojo. Born in Eisho 10 (1513), he bore the common name Jiro and the personal name (imina) Yoshihisa, later styling himself Genshiro Harumitsu. He served two successive Ashikaga shoguns, Yoshiharu and Yoshiteru, and held an estate of three hundred cho at Sakamoto in Omi Province. Joshin combined responsibilities in both metalwork and financial administration, and the NBTHK setsumei consistently note that he was "not only a metalworker but also a warrior," possessed of "a bold and valiant temperament." His dual vocation as craftsman and fighting man ended on the sixth day of the third month of Eiroku 5 (1562), when, owing to conflict with the Azai clan of northern Omi, he was attacked by Azai Ryomasa and killed in battle at the age of fifty-one. Within the Goto lineage he stands as a pivotal figure between the founding generation of Yujo and Sojo and the later masters who would enter Tokugawa service; several of his works survive as composite sets in which the sixth master Eijo or the ninth master Norinori supplied supplementary carvings to complete mitokoromono and mitsudogu ensembles begun by Joshin's hand.
Joshin's works are executed overwhelmingly on shakudo nanako-ji grounds and are characterized, in the NBTHK's repeated formulation, by "large scale, forceful presence, and carving that fills the entire field[[c:1]]." The setsumei invoke a vivid spatial metaphor to describe his relief technique: "high mountains and deep valleys" — a modulation of volume in which the modeling rises emphatically from the ground while the recesses are cut deep and clean, producing what the assessors call "a pleasing sense of dynamism." His takabori is distinguished by "numerous triangular chisel marks" that "heighten the clarity and crispness of the workmanship," and by chisel lines that are consistently described as "tight" and "controlled." Among the Goto house's prescribed motifs (okitemono), Joshin treated the Kurikara-ryu dragon, paired lions (renjishi), and crawling dragon (hairyu) across successive generations, but his interpretations are set apart by their conspicuously larger scale and by claws that are "characteristically large and long, with the tips splayed open." His subjects range from auspicious themes — dragons that "raise clouds, call rain, and ascend to the heavens" — to martial motifs befitting a warrior-craftsman, including matchlock accoutrements, horse trappings, and bow-and-arrow compositions. Regardless of subject, his gold ornaments (kinmon) are described as "rich and brimming with strength," with the quality of the gold itself praised as "excellent" and "lustrous" against the deep tonality of jet-black shakudo. Works in solid gold (kinmuku) such as his renjishi menuki display "superb control of volume," while his iroe coloring in gold and silver achieves what the NBTHK calls "an especially pleasing chromatic effect."
The evaluative language applied to Joshin across his designated works is remarkably consistent: his carving is "abundant in volume and mass," his compositions "grand" and "dignified," and his finished pieces exhibit "an archaic dignity" and "elevated tone" that place them among the finest achievements of the early Goto house. The setsumei repeatedly conclude that individual works "fully manifest Joshin's true merit" or "display Jōshin's true merit to the fullest," a formulaic endorsement reserved for pieces judged to be wholly representative of a master's capability. His surviving oeuvre has been authenticated across centuries by successive Goto house heads — Kenjo (seventh generation), Teijo (ninth), Renjo (tenth), Mitsumori (fourteenth), and Mitsutaka (thirteenth) — whose origami appraisals, some dating to the early Edo period, are themselves regarded as documents "of great documentary value." Works bearing Joshin's attribution have been transmitted in such distinguished collections as the Konoike, Asano of Geishu, and Omaeda of Kaga families, underscoring that, even in his own era, fittings of this caliber could only have been commissioned by warriors of considerable rank.
Where Goto Joshin 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.
Iebori · Yamashiro
Phase: Ko-Goto古後藤· 1440–1573
312 pieces on the market now
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Goto Joshin後藤乗真 | 1512-1562 | 68 |
| Goto Yujo後藤祐乗 | 1440-1512 | 41 |
| Goto Kenjo後藤顕乗 | 1586-1663 | 46 |
| Goto Sojo後藤宗乗 | 1461-1538 | 55 |
| Goto Eijo後藤栄乗 | 1577-1617 | 35 |
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 returns due to customer circumstances, the cost is the customer's responsibility. For returns due to our mis-shipment or a defective item, we bear the cost.
It has arrived, it has arrived! A precious kozuka by Joshin, the 3rd generation of the Goto family, who has held the status of a deity in the world of tosogu since ancient times. Joshin was Yoshihisa, the 3rd head of the Goto main line. He was called Jiro and used the name Shirobei. The first generation Yujo, the second generation Sojo, and the third generation Joshin are called the Goto Kamigandai (First Three Generations), and have been valued and deified as extremely expensive and important since antiquity. This Joshin was born in the Muromachi period, Eisho 9 (1512) (512 years ago), as the eldest son of the 2nd generation Sojo. He served the Shoguns Ashikaga Yoshiharu and Yoshiteru as a samurai. On May 5th, Kyoroku 1 (1528) (496 years ago), when bandits attacked the residence of the 13th Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiharu, Joshin fought bravely with his sword and drove off many of the attackers; Joshin was 16 years old at the time. For his fortitude as a samurai and his heroic deeds at that time, he was granted family crests such as the Shobu (iris) by Emperor Go-Nara. In Eiroku 5 (1562) (462 years ago), in the family territory of Omi Sakamoto held since Yujo's time, he joined the Omi Sengoku Daimyo Rokkaku Yoshitaka—who had assisted the 13th Shogun Yoshiharu and Ashikaga Yoshiteru—to battle the opposing forces of Azai Nagasawa, and died an honorable death in battle on the lake. He is recognized throughout the land as a fierce and brave samurai. Because of his stouthearted character, a small number of powerful works like this kozuka remain. During the Muromachi period, the production of kozuka was scarce, and because Goto family works were wonderfully precious among the Daimyo, and formal Daimyo sashiryo required a high-prestige mitokoromono consisting of Goto family menuki, kozuka, and kogai, there was a need to intentionally convert kogai into kozuka. This is such a converted kozuka, featuring myoga (Japanese ginger) and byo (rivets) in takabori on a shakudo nanako-ji base. The carving is high, large, bold, and magnificent; one can only be astonished by the power of Joshin’s design of myoga and rivets. On this occasion, an old sukisha (connoisseur) entrusted this to us, saying they have grown old and wish for it to be passed on cheaply to the next generation. Originally, works of the Goto Kamigandai are not officially attributed unless they bear a kiwame-mei by a later Goto family head, but this kozuka is so typical that no matter who looks at it or from where it is viewed, it is instantly recognizable as the work of the 3rd generation Goto Joshin. We are offering this rare, magnificent, and scarce work by Goto Joshin at a special low price. Please enjoy it.
Certificate reading — 無銘（乗真）
NihontoWatchmumei · Muromachi
Goto Joshin
Muromachi
近江
Unsigned
Hozon (NBTHK)
Iebori · Yamashiro · around 1512-1562
6 pieces on the market now
Goto Joshin, the third head of the mainline Goto house, was the legitimate son of the second master, Sojo. Born in Eisho 10 (1513), he bore the common name Jiro and the personal name (imina) Yoshihisa, later styling himself Genshiro Harumitsu. He served two successive Ashikaga shoguns, Yoshiharu and Yoshiteru, and held an estate of three hundred cho at Sakamoto in Omi Province. Joshin combined responsibilities in both metalwork and financial administration, and the NBTHK setsumei consistently note that he was "not only a metalworker but also a warrior," possessed of "a bold and valiant temperament." His dual vocation as craftsman and fighting man ended on the sixth day of the third month of Eiroku 5 (1562), when, owing to conflict with the Azai clan of northern Omi, he was attacked by Azai Ryomasa and killed in battle at the age of fifty-one. Within the Goto lineage he stands as a pivotal figure between the founding generation of Yujo and Sojo and the later masters who would enter Tokugawa service; several of his works survive as composite sets in which the sixth master Eijo or the ninth master Norinori supplied supplementary carvings to complete mitokoromono and mitsudogu ensembles begun by Joshin's hand.
Joshin's works are executed overwhelmingly on shakudo nanako-ji grounds and are characterized, in the NBTHK's repeated formulation, by "large scale, forceful presence, and carving that fills the entire field[[c:1]]." The setsumei invoke a vivid spatial metaphor to describe his relief technique: "high mountains and deep valleys" — a modulation of volume in which the modeling rises emphatically from the ground while the recesses are cut deep and clean, producing what the assessors call "a pleasing sense of dynamism." His takabori is distinguished by "numerous triangular chisel marks" that "heighten the clarity and crispness of the workmanship," and by chisel lines that are consistently described as "tight" and "controlled." Among the Goto house's prescribed motifs (okitemono), Joshin treated the Kurikara-ryu dragon, paired lions (renjishi), and crawling dragon (hairyu) across successive generations, but his interpretations are set apart by their conspicuously larger scale and by claws that are "characteristically large and long, with the tips splayed open." His subjects range from auspicious themes — dragons that "raise clouds, call rain, and ascend to the heavens" — to martial motifs befitting a warrior-craftsman, including matchlock accoutrements, horse trappings, and bow-and-arrow compositions. Regardless of subject, his gold ornaments (kinmon) are described as "rich and brimming with strength," with the quality of the gold itself praised as "excellent" and "lustrous" against the deep tonality of jet-black shakudo. Works in solid gold (kinmuku) such as his renjishi menuki display "superb control of volume," while his iroe coloring in gold and silver achieves what the NBTHK calls "an especially pleasing chromatic effect."
The evaluative language applied to Joshin across his designated works is remarkably consistent: his carving is "abundant in volume and mass," his compositions "grand" and "dignified," and his finished pieces exhibit "an archaic dignity" and "elevated tone" that place them among the finest achievements of the early Goto house. The setsumei repeatedly conclude that individual works "fully manifest Joshin's true merit" or "display Jōshin's true merit to the fullest," a formulaic endorsement reserved for pieces judged to be wholly representative of a master's capability. His surviving oeuvre has been authenticated across centuries by successive Goto house heads — Kenjo (seventh generation), Teijo (ninth), Renjo (tenth), Mitsumori (fourteenth), and Mitsutaka (thirteenth) — whose origami appraisals, some dating to the early Edo period, are themselves regarded as documents "of great documentary value." Works bearing Joshin's attribution have been transmitted in such distinguished collections as the Konoike, Asano of Geishu, and Omaeda of Kaga families, underscoring that, even in his own era, fittings of this caliber could only have been commissioned by warriors of considerable rank.
Where Goto Joshin 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.
Iebori · Yamashiro
Phase: Ko-Goto古後藤· 1440–1573
312 pieces on the market now
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Goto Joshin後藤乗真 | 1512-1562 | 68 |
| Goto Yujo後藤祐乗 | 1440-1512 | 41 |
| Goto Kenjo後藤顕乗 | 1586-1663 | 46 |
| Goto Sojo後藤宗乗 | 1461-1538 | 55 |
| Goto Eijo後藤栄乗 | 1577-1617 | 35 |
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 returns due to customer circumstances, the cost is the customer's responsibility. For returns due to our mis-shipment or a defective item, we bear the cost.
