Higo Kinko
“Higo Kinko” is the collective name for the metal pieces that decorated swords and sword guards. These were made in Kumamoto, in Higo province, and were highly esteemed in the Edo period. Hosokawa Sansai (1563～1645), who was an excellent military commander, and a master of the tea ceremony, made a contribution to the development of Higo Kinko through encouragement and guidance. The characteristic of the metal work is practicality and stateliness; two qualities that have also had a lasting influence on the aesthetic sense in tea ceremonies.
The four major schools of Higo Kinko consist of the Hayashi Matashichi School, the Hirata Hikozo School, the Nishigaki Kanshiro School, and the Shimizu Jinbei School. If you include the Kamiyoshi School, which was the successor to the Hayashi School, it makes five schools in total.
Higo Tsuba Sword Guard
The guard of a sword is called a “Tsuba” in Japanese. It is usually a flat iron plate that separates the hilt of the sword from the blade, and protects the hand of the sword wielder. It is an essential feature of a sword. Yet, each sword owner’s taste is reflected in the decorative patterns and designs that embellish these guards. The Higo-tsuba was designed with much consideration for “Higo-koshirae”, which was Hosokawa Sansai’s favorite style.
Sword guard with openwork design of paulownia flowers with two lines/ IDETA Collection/Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art (17th century, Edo period) by attributed to HAYASHI MatashichiTachibana Museum
Sword Guard with paulownia and double-strode crests open work
HAYASHI Matashichi First,
the early Edo period (the 17th century),
IDETA Collection
Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art
Sword Guard with paulownia and double-strode crests open work (back side)HAYASHI Matashichi First,the early Edo period (the 17th century),IDETA CollectionKumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art
Sword guard with openwork design of flowering plum tree/ IDETA Collection/Kumamoto prefectural Museum of Art (1667/1744) by atttributed to Hayashi Shigemitsu the 2ndTachibana Museum
Sword guard with the design of plum tree open work
Hayashi Shigemitsu, the 2nd,
the early Edo period (the17th~18th century),
Collection of Kumamoto prefectural Museum of Art (The Ideta collection)
Sword guard with the design of plum tree open work (back side)Hayashi Shigemitsu the 2ndthe early Edo period (the17th~18th century)Kumamoto prefectural Museum of Art (The Ideta collection)
Sword guard with openwork design of Amaryu rain dragon/ HIRATSUKA Collection/Kumamoto prefectural Museum of Art (1786/1851) by Kamiyoshi Fukanobu the 2ndTachibana Museum
Sword Guard with the design of Amaryu Rain Dragon open work
Kamiyoshi Fukanobu the 2nd
the late Edo period (the19th century)
Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art (The HIRATSUKA collection)
Sword Guard with the design of Amaryu Rain Dragon open work (back side)Kamiyoshi Fukanobu the 2ndthe late Edo period (the19th century)Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art (The HIRATSUKA collection)
Sword Guard with dead trees design/ IDETA Collection/Kumamoto prefectural Museum of Art (1817/1884) by Kamiyoshi Rakujyu the 3rdTachibana Museum
Sword Guard with design of Dead Trees
Kamiyoshi Rakujyu the 3rd
the late Edo period (the19th century)
Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art (The Ideta collection)
Sword Guard with design of Dead Trees (back side)Kamiyoshi Rakujyu the 3rdthe late Edo period (the19th century)Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art (The Ideta collection)
Sword guard with openwork design of dried trepangs/ IDETA Collection/Kumamoto prefectural Museum of Art (1817/1884) by Kamiyoshi Rakujyu the 3rdTachibana Museum
Sword Guard with design of Dried Trepangs
Kamiyoshi Rakujyu the 3rd
the late Edo period (the19th century)
Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art (The Ideta collection)
Sword Guard with design of Dried Trepangs (back side)Kamiyoshi Rakujyu the 3rdthe late Edo period (the19th century)Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art (The Ideta collection)
Sword guard with design of crane, wave, cherry blossom and Kuyo crest/ IDETA Collection/Kumamoto prefectural Museum of Art by attributed to TANI SeibeiTachibana Museum
Sword Guard with a Crane over the Waves Open Work
Tani Seibei
the late Edo period (the19th century)
Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art (The Ideta collection)
Sword Guard with a Crane over the Waves Open Work (back side)Tani Seibeithe late Edo period (the19th century)Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art (The Ideta collection)
Sword guard with openwork design of triple tomoe crest/ HIRATSUKA Collection/Kumamoto prefectural Museum of Art (1613/1693) by attributed to Nishigaki Kanshiro FirstTachibana Museum
Sword Guard with design of Three Comma Shaped Figures in a Circle Open Work
attributed to Nishigaki Kanshiro First
the early Edo period (the 17th century)
Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art
Sword Guard with design of Three Comma Shaped Figures in a Circle Open Work(back side)attributed to Nishigaki Kanshiro Firstthe early Edo period (the 17th century)Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art
Sword guard with ear of millet designt/ IDETA Collection/Kumamoto prefectural Museum of Art (1639/1711) by attributed to Nishigaki Kanshiro 2ndTachibana Museum
Sword Guard with design of Millet
attributed to Nishigaki Kanshiro 2nd
Edo period (the17th-18th century)
Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art (The Ideta collection)
Sword Guard with design of Millet (back side)attributed to Nishigaki Kanshiro 2ndEdo period (the17th-18th century)Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art (The Ideta collection)
Mokko shaped sword guard with waves design/ IDETA Collection/Kumamoto prefectural Museum of Art (1680/1761) by attributed to NISHIGAKI Kanshiro the thirdTachibana Museum
Sword Guard with design of Waves in Mokko (Chaenomeles) Shape
Nishigaki Kanshiro 3rd
Edo period (the18th century)
Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art (The Ideta collection)
Sword Guard with design of Waves in Mokko (Chaenomeles) Shape (back side)Nishigaki Kanshiro 3rdEdo period (the18th century)Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art (The Ideta collection)
Sword guard with dotemimi-skinokoshi design/ IDETA Collecton/Kumamoto prefectural Museum of Art (1691/1777) by attributed to Shimizu Jingo 3rdTachibana Museum
Sword Guard with Bank Shaped Edge
attributed to Shimizu Jingo 3rd
Edo period (the18th century)
Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art（The ideta Collecton)
Sword Guard with Bank Shaped Edge (back side)attributed to Shimizu Jingo 3rdEdo period (the18th century)Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art（The ideta Collecton)
Sword Guard with Butterflies Open Work (1974) by Yonemitsu TaheiTachibana Museum
Sword Guard with Butterflies Open Work
Yonemitsu Tahei
1974
Kumamoto prefectural Museum of Art
Sword Guard with Butterflies Open Work (back side)Yonemitsu Tahei1974Kumamoto prefectural Museum of Art
Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art
Curated by
SAITO Azusa (Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art)
UENO Kaori (TACHIBANA MUSEUM)
