NihontoWatchNihontoWatchA kogai made of yamagane in the so-called Mino-bori style, with the ground deeply excavated and the design rendered in steep takabori. The certificate also identifies it as Ko-Mino with sukidashi takabori. Even so, when it comes to Ko-Mino in yamagane with a budo design, this is the look. I have seen many similar works, but there is a certain charm that draws one in. It is not that it has reality, nor is it a delicate carving; if anything, one could even call it a listless karakusa pattern. However, that is likely what makes it good. It seems like a design born from taking wild grapes growing in the mountains and fields, spreading them out just as they are within a frame, and overlaying an exotic foreign relief onto a simple and rustic motif... perhaps I am praising it a bit too much. Is the technique of carving the ground away to the point where the inside of the frame feels empty truly a method born from the reduction of materials? Or is it a technique rich in rustic character meant to make the mon stand out? I wonder how the Mino-bori kinko of that time would answer. Even in Kokubo Kenichi's "Kinko Mino-bori," the reason cannot be confirmed, and the discussion begins and ends with the presence or absence of gami, which is somewhat unsatisfying. I would like to say the production period of this work is the Momoyama period, but based on the overall shape and niku-oki, it may come down to the early Edo period. I feel apologetic toward the kiwame of Ko-Mino, but our shop has dared to label it early Edo. No, if someone were to tell me it is definitely from the late Muromachi period, that would be fine too... I have no complaints about the age being older. The older it is, the more the presence of this work increases.
NihontoWatchOffered by Asahi Token
29 on the market
Ko-Mino School
Pre-Edo
Unsigned
Hozon (NBTHK)
As written by the shop
Machine translation from the shop's Japanese · may contain errors ·
Kinko · Mino
29 pieces on the market now
The Ko-Mino school emerged during the mid-to-late Muromachi period, arising at approximately the same time as the Gotō family within the broader tradition of early metalworkers (ko-kinkō). While the Gotō lineage served the Ashikaga shogunal house from the first master Yūjō onward, Ko-Mino artisans operated outside official patronage, maintaining independence and at times working within the cultural sphere of the imperial capital. The school's chronological span extended through the Momoyama period, resulting in a notably wide range of workmanship across generations. Despite this temporal breadth, Ko-Mino developed a distinctive aesthetic identity separate from contemporary schools, establishing patterns and techniques that would define the tradition for generations. The defining characteristic of Ko-Mino work lies in its powerfully sculptural carving method, often described as "Mino's deep carving" (Mino no fukabori). On tsuba, kōgai, and kozuka, crests and motifs are executed with sharply rising chisel edges and pronounced three-dimensional relief achieved through sukidashi-bori and takabori techniques. In menuki, thin metal plates are worked with dramatic alternations of height and depth, frequently incorporating extensive openwork piercings (sukashi) that heighten the sense of movement and sculptural presence.
Materials typically include shakudō and yamagane with nanako-ji grounds, embellished with refined gold and silver iroe applied either through uttori (smooth, untextured reserves) or delicate inlay (zōgan). Thematically, Ko-Mino artisans favored autumn grasses—chrysanthemums, bush clover, patrinia—rendered with rich poetic sentiment, as well as grapevines (symbolizing the martial way through wordplay on budō), seaweed and shells (mogai-zu), pine trees, peonies with lions, and dragons. The so-called "Mino dragon" (Mino-ryū) represents a particularly distinctive motif, characterized by a tightly drawn body with numerous piercings and the dragon grasping the sacred jewel from the side, in marked contrast to Gotō dragons. " The school's impact on sword-fitting metalwork extended beyond technical innovation to encompass aesthetic philosophy—balancing sculptural dynamism with refined elegance (gami), and harmonizing powerful carving with delicate surface enrichment. Works exhibit characteristic structural features such as slender kōgai forms with long shafts, finely constricted necks, sharply rising mimikaki heads, and typical warabite terminals. The school's influence persisted into the Edo period, when appreciation for its bold relief carving gave rise to the designation "Mino deep carving," though later works in this manner represent a distinct development from the original Ko-Mino tradition. Through their mastery of three-dimensional carving and their introduction of fresh currents into sword-mounting aesthetics, Ko-Mino artisans established an enduring legacy that balances sculptural presence with courtly refinement. 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.
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