Sword Guard with dead trees design/ IDETA Collection/Kumamoto prefectural Museum of Art

This sword guard is considered to have been created by the 3rd head of the Kamiyoshi school, Rakuju (1817-84), based on the style of the work.
Rakuju studied the great master Hayashi Matashichi’s works and obtained the techniques of nunomezogan (cloth-weave inlay) and openwork. He then became so great craftsman that he was called the second Matashichi.
This circular-shaped sword guard has an openwork design resembling a silhouette of two pine trees. On the iron surface, a gold inlay pattern of dead trees is depicted. The abstract pattern of the dead trees is reminiscent of Matashichi’s work.