NihontoWatchNihontoWatchThis iron Tsuba is recognized by The Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Sword, which is known as NTHK. According to its certificate, this Tsuba has Owari-style. Owari Tsuba is the generic term of Tsubas that were mainly made in Owari-no Kuni, Kiyosu (尾張国 清州, Nagoya city today). Each of this style’s Tsuba has different characteristics depending on history and type. Also, this Tsuba’s maker was Sadahiro (貞廣), who was active as a Tsuba maker during the early-mid Edo period in Owari province (today’s Aichi prefecture). One of the characteristics of Owari Tsuba makers is that the iron base was well forged to show a robust texture, and traces of hammering are used on the ground. This work also shows the charm of the base iron. As for the design, it depicts the shape of a fruit (実, Mi) and leaves (葉, Ha) of peach (桃, Momo), with the fruit carved in a watermark. In ancient times, people considered peach as a sacred tree and would exterminate evil spirits. It is said that there was a custom of eliminating evil spirits with bows and peach branches made from peach trees. According to a Chinese legend, a fairy ate peaches and extended her 3,000 year old age. Based on this folklore, this fruit represents longevity. Also, there is a famous Japanese fairy tale called Momotaro (桃太郎 , Momo means peach in Japanese); this is the main character’s name; this is the story about the conquest of ogres by him. The peach pattern symbolizes good luck and victory due to this folklore. Also, in the Kojiki 古事記 , regarded as the oldest history book in existenc e in Japan), it is written that peaches were growing on the border that separates this world from the next world. It gave meaning: resuscitation for this motif. Authentication Paper NTHK, also known as NPO Nihon Touken Hozon Kai, is the oldest organization for sword authentication of Japanese swords in modern times. It was established in 1889 during the post-Samurai era. They authenticated the Tsuba on October 20th in the 6th year of Reiwa (2024).
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Iron-tsuba · Owari
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Where Sadahiro 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.
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Iron-tsuba · Owari
71 pieces on the market now
The Owari school represents one of the twin pillars of Japanese iron openwork tsuba production, standing alongside the Kyō tradition as a defining force in the art of ji-sukashi (ground openwork) guards. The school's origins lie in the Owari province (modern Aichi prefecture), where production began in the early to middle Muromachi period and continued across a sustained span extending into the Edo period. While Kyō sukashi is characterized by delicacy and graceful elegance, Owari guards distinguish themselves through a tasteful refinement that conceals inner strength—a quality often described as possessing both dignity and rustic vigor. The tradition's most celebrated artisan, Yamakichibee, worked alongside contemporaries such as Hoan to establish technical standards that would define the school's reputation. Early signatures appear in forms such as "Yamasaka Kichibee" and abbreviated variants "Yama Kichibee," with the character へ understood as a shortening of 衛, suggesting generational succession across the late Muromachi and Momoyama periods. The technical achievements of Owari tsuba center on the mastery of iron itself, expressed through distinctive forging methods and surface treatment. The school's craftsmen employed a characteristic modeling technique called nikuoki, in which the central area of the plate is made slightly lower while the outer rim is raised, creating subtle variations in relief that enhance both visual depth and structural integrity.
This treatment is complemented by the dramatic appearance of tekkotsu (iron bones)—crystalline grain structures that emerge along the kaku-mimi ko-niku rim (angular rim with slight rounding) through controlled annealing or yakite finishing. These iron bones manifest in multiple forms: granular, clumped, linear, and pronounced masame (straight-grain) patterns, often appearing in lively activity across both the rim and the plate surface. The forged iron develops a deep, thick purple rust patina (murasaki-sabi) of exceptional beauty, while the plate itself may be finished with tsuchime (hammer texturing) or gently dished surfaces that create a melting, softened effect. The school's openwork compositions range from geometric patterned designs—such as flower petals, kozane (lamellar scales), and net patterns (amime-sukashi)—to boldly pictorial narratives incorporating the seppa-dai into unified compositions depicting catfish (namazu), crabs, wild geese (karigane), and literary themes such as the "Mount Utsu" scene from the Ise monogatari. The Owari tradition's influence extended well beyond the technical sphere, establishing aesthetic standards that defined connoisseurship and collecting practices for centuries. The school's guards were prized for what setsumei authors describe as an "antique, tasteful character" (koga no ajiwai)—a quality combining power, compact control, and the subtle fascination of fine iron that set them apart from contemporaneous work. While the school's original strengths began to diminish from the beginning of the Edo period, mature-phase examples from the late Muromachi and Momoyama periods demonstrate the full range of Owari excellence: stately presence achieved through imposing forms and thick construction, dynamic spatial effects created through kage-sukashi (shadow-like silhouette piercing), and an audacious, unconventional character that attracted eccentric taste (sukisha). Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Nobuie信家 | — | 56 |
| Hiko’emon彦右衛門 | — | 0 |
| Katsuaki克明 | — | 0 |
| Shigemasa重正 | — | 0 |
| Norisuke則亮 (Norisuke/Koreyoshi | — | 0 |
The NTHK’s principal certificate, issued for a fitting of considerable quality. It confirms a genuine signature, or, for an unsigned (mumei) work, records the judges’ attribution to a maker or school.
The NTHK (Nihon Tōken Hozon Kai, the Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Sword) is the oldest of Japan’s sword-appraisal bodies, founded in 1910, decades before the NBTHK. After the death of its long-serving head it divided into two successor societies, the NTHK and the NTHK-NPO, both of which continue to hold shinsa. NTHK blade certificates are known for a detailed worksheet that records a numerical point score alongside the judges’ written opinion (fitting papers carry the judges’ opinion without a point score), and the society is especially respected for its attribution of unsigned (mumei) work.
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