NihontoWatchNihontoWatchKozuka signed "Shomin" with Kao. With Tokubetsu Hozon Tosogu. This artist was a student of the Kikugawa school, but later in his career switched to the Tsuchiya school, where he worked under the supervision of a fifth-generation Tsuchiya master, Kunichika. There are extant works by this maker with dates 1851, 1854, and 1857. According to NBTHK certificate it is made of shibuichi. However in my opinion it has a slight blue haze which suggest shakudo alloy. Definitely not a high grade but in my opinion it looks more like shakudo than shibuichi. Decorated with a motif of Prince Yamato Takeru. He was a semi-legendary prince from the Japanese imperial family, born around 72 AD. There are many fascinating stories about his life. The most important of these may concern the sword he holds on this kozuka. It is the "Kusanagi No Tsurugi," a sword extracted from the body of an eight-headed beast by the god Susanoo and subsequently given to the goddess Amaterasu. This sword rested at the Amaterasu Shrine in Ise until it was presented to Prince Takeru. The sword itself has played a role in many important events in Japanese history. It is currently one of the three imperial regalia known as the Three Sacred Treasures. In custom made kiri box.
Certificate reading — 銘 正珉（花押）
NihontoWatchTsuchiya Shomin土屋正珉
Offered by Soryu
14 on the market
Tsuchiya Shomin
Edo
Signed
Tokuho (NBTHK)
Machibori · Musashi (Edo)
1 piece on the market now
Machibori · Musashi (Edo)
14 pieces on the market now
The Tsuchiya school is a branch of the Nara kinkō tradition, established in Edo (Musashi Province) by Tsuchiya Yasuchika, counted among the Nara Sansaku (Three Great Masters of Nara). Six generations of main-line heads carried the name Yasuchika (安親), perpetuating a continuous workshop lineage from the Genroku era through the late Edo period. The Shōnai Kinkō Meifu records Yasutsugu (安族) as a pupil of the first-generation Yasuchika who served as a cooperative assistant craftsman in Edo before returning to Shōnai[[c:2]], where his descendants continued in metalwork. The sixth-generation head, Tsuchiya Masachika — also known as Hōgen Yasuchika — was the eldest son of Kunichika (the fifth-generation head), born in Shimotsuke Province at Shimodate. He "traveled widely to study and refine his skills[[c:3]]," establishing himself at Shiba-Shinbashi in Edo and serving as domain craftsman to the Satake family of Akita. He was granted the court title Hōgen, used the art names Sekienji and Tōsen, and died in Man'en 2 (1861).
A further branch member, Tsuchiya Morichika I, signed under the extended form Tōensha Tsuchiya Kōsen Morichika. The school's collective style is rooted in the Nara tradition's carving vocabulary, with sukidashi-takabori (relief carving raised from the ground) as its foundational technique. Iron and shakudō are the primary ground metals, frequently worked in ishime-ji or tsuchime-ji (hammered ground), with rich iroe in gold, silver, shibuichi, and suaka. " The pictorial sensibility favors literary and allusive compositions; Morichika's Five Seasonal Festivals suite expresses each observance "through evocative images of associated objects and settings that allude to the observances[[c:5]]" rather than depicting ceremonial scenes literally. " The setsumei consistently position the Tsuchiya school as a vehicle for the continuation of Nara-school principles across the mid- and late Edo periods. " Commissioned works for daimyō patrons — the Satake family of Akita and the Matsui family of Maebashi — attest to the enduring esteem in which the Tsuchiya line was held by the upper warrior class. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Yasuchika安親 | 1804-1830 | 0 |
| Yasuchika安親 | 1718-1778 | 0 |
| Yasunari安成 | — | 0 |
| Yasunori安則 | — | 0 |
| Kunichika国親 | — | 0 |
A Hozon-certified fitting of notably superior craftsmanship and condition, often with signature or workmanship of high reference 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 siteInspection period (per the shop's shipping policy): after receiving the item, each customer has two weeks for inspection. In that time you may decide to return it, and the item will be refunded in full. Shipping costs are not refunded. Returns (per the shop's refund policy): the policy lasts 30 days; once 30 days have passed since purchase, no refund or exchange is possible. To be eligible for a return, the item must be in the same condition in which it was received and in its original packaging. Customized products cannot be returned. In certain situations only a partial refund is granted. Return shipping is at the customer's expense, and shipping costs are non-refundable.
$1,600