This is a tsuba by Hayashi Matashichi, the first generation of the Hayashi school, a prominent group of Higo metalworkers. It features a toomimatsu (distant pine) openwork design on an iron ground. The tsuba is certified as Juyo Kodogu by the NBTHK, indicating its high artistic and historical value.
NihontoWatchmei · Hayashi · Edo
Hayashi Matashichi
Edo
Higo
Signed
Jūyō
Higo · Higo
3 pieces on the market now
Hayashi Matashichi (林又七), also known as Seizaburō Shigeharu, was born in Kumamoto in Keichō 18 (1613) and is regarded as the founder of the Hayashi lineage among Higo metalworkers (Higo kinkō Hayashi-ha). His forebears were gunsmiths (teppō kaji) of Owari Province who, it is said, also occasionally made tsuba. In his father Seibei's generation the family served Katō Kiyomasa as gunsmiths and relocated to Higo Kumamoto; after the Katō house was dispossessed, they entered the service of the Hosokawa, who were transferred to that domain. Matashichi died in Genroku 12 (1699) at the age of eighty-seven. As head of the Hayashi school, he is a master craftsman who "occupies the highest rank among Higo artisans." The Higo Kinkōroku records that Higo metalwork flourished under the guidance of Hosokawa Sansai Tadaoki, and the four principal lineages — Hayashi (Kasuga), Hirata, Nishigaki, and Shimizu — trace their origins to that patronage. Incorporating the strengths of Owari tsuba and early Shōami work (ko-Shōami), Matashichi devised distinctive approaches to nunome-zōgan and inlaid carving (horikomi-zōgan), thereby establishing himself as the progenitor of a distinct school.
Matashichi's hallmark is his exceptionally well-forged iron plate, whose lustrous, viscous surface is likened to the color of yōkan[[c:1]] — a deep, richly glossy tone that the Higo Kinkōroku praises in memorable terms: "the color of the iron is without equal; the forging is tightly knit, and its beauty is beyond comparison." The NBTHK setsumei repeatedly return to the dense, clinging sheen of this iron[[c:2]] as the principal point of appreciation. Beyond the iron itself, Matashichi commands a wide repertoire of technique[[c:3]]. His gold nunome-zōgan is applied with deliberate passages rendered "as though broken or torn," conveying what the setsumei call "the exceptional refinement of Matashichi's aesthetic sensibility." His kareki-zōgan (withered-tree inlay) is especially the artist's forte, "reaching a level that other craftsmen found difficult to match." His ji-sukashi (ground openwork) — whether rendering bamboo, paulownia, distant pine, or cherry blossoms at Yoshinogawa — demonstrates an outstanding sense of design; later generations actively copied these compositions across multiple schools, yet "in terms of the quality of the iron, the excellence of the overall bearing, and the refined elegance," none surpass Matashichi. He also produced fuchi-kashira in which the fuchi and kashira employ differing base metals, a practice noted as distinctive to his hand.
The evaluative language across decades of NBTHK setsumei is remarkably consistent: Matashichi's works possess a "dignified, firmly-set presence" and a "tenacious quality" in the iron; they are "high in tone and elegance," recalling the saying that his work made even other craftsmen "keep their distance by three sha," so elevated was its authority[[c:5]]. His openwork is praised for its bold, unhurried spaciousness[[c:4]], its economical niku-oki (placement of relief), and its capacity to convey poetic feeling — "the springy resilience of bamboo," "a fresh breeze stirring through each leaf," or the crystallization of the bushidō ethos in the form of a tsuba[[c:6]]. Among his oeuvre, the setsumei distinguish two constructional manners — pieces of keen, sensitive construction with little flat niku, and others of broad, generous construction with fuller niku — both developing "splendidly distinctive manners of workmanship." Whether signed with the precious kinzōgan-mei "又七" or appraised as mumei, Matashichi's tsuba are recognized as expressing "the appeal of Higo tsuba to the fullest extent."
Where Matashichi 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.
Higo · Higo
35 pieces on the market now
The Hayashi school of Higo metalworkers traces its origins to Hayashi Matahichi, founder of the lineage, who was born in Kumamoto in Keichō 18 (1613). His personal name was Seisaburō Shigeharu, and "Matahichi" served as his professional art name. The family's ancestral roots lay in Owari Province, where they worked as gunsmiths (teppō kaji), though tradition holds they also produced tsuba from time to time. In the generation of Matahichi's father, Seibei, the family relocated to Higo Kumamoto in service to Katō Kiyomasa as gunsmiths. Following the dispossession of the Katō house, they entered the service of the Hosokawa clan. Under the cultivation and encouragement of Hosokawa Sansai (Tadaoki)—a renowned tea master and patron of the arts—Matahichi matured as a sword-fitting maker, bringing the Hayashi aesthetic to full flowering. He died in Genroku 12 (1699) at the age of eighty-seven, having established a tradition that would be revived by later craftsmen such as Kamiyoshi Fukanobu in the late Edo period. The hallmark of Hayashi workmanship resides in the exceptional quality of the forged iron plate, repeatedly described in the records as possessing a dense, lustrous character likened to the dark tone of yōkan (sweet bean jelly). This singular iron—often displaying the purplish patina (shisaku) characteristic of Higo tsuba—is worked with a viscous, clinging texture that could only be achieved through meticulous forging. The tsuchime-ji (hammer-textured ground) is handled with subtle modulation, imparting a softened feeling to carved surfaces and openwork edges.
Design motifs draw upon classical themes imbued with scholarly resonance: bamboo rendered with springy resilience, as if stirred by a pure breeze; pine branches expressing spacious elegance; cranes and cherry blossoms arranged in compositions of refined simplicity. Openwork techniques include both bold ji-sukashi (ground openwork) executed with decisive chisel thrusts, and more delicate kage-sukashi (shadow openwork) that leaves subtle relief. Decoration is restrained yet effective: gold inlay in the horikomi-zōgan (carved-in inlay) manner, often featuring the maker's favored "withered tree" (kareki) motif or twisted-rope (nawa-me) patterns rendered as perfectly round beads. The integration of design, carving, and inlay achieves a coherent whole in which each element supports the others without ostentation. The artistic philosophy animating Hayashi work is characterized in the appraisals as possessing the bearing of a kunshi—the gentleman of exemplary virtue in classical thought—combining martial discipline with cultivated refinement. This sensibility, described as fūin (cultivated resonance), pervades every aspect of production: the elevated choice of motif, the spacious yet rigorous composition, the subdued finish that conceals deep refinement within. Matahichi's rare chisel-cut signatures (tagane-mei), when present, are themselves wrought with brushwork-like handling, further evidence of his consummate artistry. Later Hayashi-school craftsmen such as Fukanobu devoted themselves to reviving this tradition, producing works marked by sincere and dignified manner, free from eccentricity. The Hayashi aesthetic—rooted in superior materials, accomplished technique, and an ethos resonant with Edo-period bushidō—represents one of the defining achievements of Higo metalwork, wherein the appeal of iron tsuba is elevated to convey both formal beauty and spiritual depth. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Matashichi又七 | — | 52 |
| Shigemitsu重光 | — | 11 |
| Shigeyuki重之 | — | 0 |
| Matahachi又八 | — | 0 |
| Toshichi藤七 | — | 0 |
Exceptional craft of very high artistic value, judged to rank with a nationally recognized Important Art Object (Jūyō Bijutsuhin).
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 a tsuba by Hayashi Matashichi, the first generation of the Hayashi school, a prominent group of Higo metalworkers. It features a toomimatsu (distant pine) openwork design on an iron ground. The tsuba is certified as Juyo Kodogu by the NBTHK, indicating its high artistic and historical value.
NihontoWatchmei · Hayashi · Edo
Hayashi Matashichi
Edo
Higo
Signed
Jūyō
Higo · Higo
3 pieces on the market now
Hayashi Matashichi (林又七), also known as Seizaburō Shigeharu, was born in Kumamoto in Keichō 18 (1613) and is regarded as the founder of the Hayashi lineage among Higo metalworkers (Higo kinkō Hayashi-ha). His forebears were gunsmiths (teppō kaji) of Owari Province who, it is said, also occasionally made tsuba. In his father Seibei's generation the family served Katō Kiyomasa as gunsmiths and relocated to Higo Kumamoto; after the Katō house was dispossessed, they entered the service of the Hosokawa, who were transferred to that domain. Matashichi died in Genroku 12 (1699) at the age of eighty-seven. As head of the Hayashi school, he is a master craftsman who "occupies the highest rank among Higo artisans." The Higo Kinkōroku records that Higo metalwork flourished under the guidance of Hosokawa Sansai Tadaoki, and the four principal lineages — Hayashi (Kasuga), Hirata, Nishigaki, and Shimizu — trace their origins to that patronage. Incorporating the strengths of Owari tsuba and early Shōami work (ko-Shōami), Matashichi devised distinctive approaches to nunome-zōgan and inlaid carving (horikomi-zōgan), thereby establishing himself as the progenitor of a distinct school.
Matashichi's hallmark is his exceptionally well-forged iron plate, whose lustrous, viscous surface is likened to the color of yōkan[[c:1]] — a deep, richly glossy tone that the Higo Kinkōroku praises in memorable terms: "the color of the iron is without equal; the forging is tightly knit, and its beauty is beyond comparison." The NBTHK setsumei repeatedly return to the dense, clinging sheen of this iron[[c:2]] as the principal point of appreciation. Beyond the iron itself, Matashichi commands a wide repertoire of technique[[c:3]]. His gold nunome-zōgan is applied with deliberate passages rendered "as though broken or torn," conveying what the setsumei call "the exceptional refinement of Matashichi's aesthetic sensibility." His kareki-zōgan (withered-tree inlay) is especially the artist's forte, "reaching a level that other craftsmen found difficult to match." His ji-sukashi (ground openwork) — whether rendering bamboo, paulownia, distant pine, or cherry blossoms at Yoshinogawa — demonstrates an outstanding sense of design; later generations actively copied these compositions across multiple schools, yet "in terms of the quality of the iron, the excellence of the overall bearing, and the refined elegance," none surpass Matashichi. He also produced fuchi-kashira in which the fuchi and kashira employ differing base metals, a practice noted as distinctive to his hand.
The evaluative language across decades of NBTHK setsumei is remarkably consistent: Matashichi's works possess a "dignified, firmly-set presence" and a "tenacious quality" in the iron; they are "high in tone and elegance," recalling the saying that his work made even other craftsmen "keep their distance by three sha," so elevated was its authority[[c:5]]. His openwork is praised for its bold, unhurried spaciousness[[c:4]], its economical niku-oki (placement of relief), and its capacity to convey poetic feeling — "the springy resilience of bamboo," "a fresh breeze stirring through each leaf," or the crystallization of the bushidō ethos in the form of a tsuba[[c:6]]. Among his oeuvre, the setsumei distinguish two constructional manners — pieces of keen, sensitive construction with little flat niku, and others of broad, generous construction with fuller niku — both developing "splendidly distinctive manners of workmanship." Whether signed with the precious kinzōgan-mei "又七" or appraised as mumei, Matashichi's tsuba are recognized as expressing "the appeal of Higo tsuba to the fullest extent."
Where Matashichi 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.
Higo · Higo
35 pieces on the market now
The Hayashi school of Higo metalworkers traces its origins to Hayashi Matahichi, founder of the lineage, who was born in Kumamoto in Keichō 18 (1613). His personal name was Seisaburō Shigeharu, and "Matahichi" served as his professional art name. The family's ancestral roots lay in Owari Province, where they worked as gunsmiths (teppō kaji), though tradition holds they also produced tsuba from time to time. In the generation of Matahichi's father, Seibei, the family relocated to Higo Kumamoto in service to Katō Kiyomasa as gunsmiths. Following the dispossession of the Katō house, they entered the service of the Hosokawa clan. Under the cultivation and encouragement of Hosokawa Sansai (Tadaoki)—a renowned tea master and patron of the arts—Matahichi matured as a sword-fitting maker, bringing the Hayashi aesthetic to full flowering. He died in Genroku 12 (1699) at the age of eighty-seven, having established a tradition that would be revived by later craftsmen such as Kamiyoshi Fukanobu in the late Edo period. The hallmark of Hayashi workmanship resides in the exceptional quality of the forged iron plate, repeatedly described in the records as possessing a dense, lustrous character likened to the dark tone of yōkan (sweet bean jelly). This singular iron—often displaying the purplish patina (shisaku) characteristic of Higo tsuba—is worked with a viscous, clinging texture that could only be achieved through meticulous forging. The tsuchime-ji (hammer-textured ground) is handled with subtle modulation, imparting a softened feeling to carved surfaces and openwork edges.
Design motifs draw upon classical themes imbued with scholarly resonance: bamboo rendered with springy resilience, as if stirred by a pure breeze; pine branches expressing spacious elegance; cranes and cherry blossoms arranged in compositions of refined simplicity. Openwork techniques include both bold ji-sukashi (ground openwork) executed with decisive chisel thrusts, and more delicate kage-sukashi (shadow openwork) that leaves subtle relief. Decoration is restrained yet effective: gold inlay in the horikomi-zōgan (carved-in inlay) manner, often featuring the maker's favored "withered tree" (kareki) motif or twisted-rope (nawa-me) patterns rendered as perfectly round beads. The integration of design, carving, and inlay achieves a coherent whole in which each element supports the others without ostentation. The artistic philosophy animating Hayashi work is characterized in the appraisals as possessing the bearing of a kunshi—the gentleman of exemplary virtue in classical thought—combining martial discipline with cultivated refinement. This sensibility, described as fūin (cultivated resonance), pervades every aspect of production: the elevated choice of motif, the spacious yet rigorous composition, the subdued finish that conceals deep refinement within. Matahichi's rare chisel-cut signatures (tagane-mei), when present, are themselves wrought with brushwork-like handling, further evidence of his consummate artistry. Later Hayashi-school craftsmen such as Fukanobu devoted themselves to reviving this tradition, producing works marked by sincere and dignified manner, free from eccentricity. The Hayashi aesthetic—rooted in superior materials, accomplished technique, and an ethos resonant with Edo-period bushidō—represents one of the defining achievements of Higo metalwork, wherein the appeal of iron tsuba is elevated to convey both formal beauty and spiritual depth. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Matashichi又七 | — | 52 |
| Shigemitsu重光 | — | 11 |
| Shigeyuki重之 | — | 0 |
| Matahachi又八 | — | 0 |
| Toshichi藤七 | — | 0 |
Exceptional craft of very high artistic value, judged to rank with a nationally recognized Important Art Object (Jūyō Bijutsuhin).
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).
