Sword guard with ear of millet designt/ IDETA Collection/Kumamoto prefectural Museum of Art

This sword guard is believed to be a piece created by the 2nd Head Kanshio (1639-1711) of the Nishigaki school based on the style of work. Kanshiro, also called Nagahisa, entered the Goto family of metalworkers in Edo (now Tokyo). After gaining the skill of hereditary succession, he actively created sword guards with openwork or nunome-zogan (cloth-weave inlay). This piece here with an inlay design depicting an ear of millet swinging in the breeze is one of the typical examples of his work.