A Higo Tsuba by Shimizu Jingo with Nagegiri no zu (design of wind torn Kiri / Pauwlonia)
The metal with it’s perfect steely plate is hard and sounds like bell when knocking at it. The surface has a glossy uruoi (wet gloss) patina of a silverish black. The design of the nagegiri is done in sunken relief with rests of gold in nunome zogan. Keshi komi zogan is a gilding technique almost only used in Higo. It is delicate and damageable for which it was liked in Higo. The forging with tsuchime and results in a beautiful vivid surface. We think the Tsuba dates from the middle to late Edo period.
The Tsuba could also be attributed to the Nishigaki family. It is hard to judge by which workshop the moko shaped tsuba was made. Initially both families’ first masters Jinbei and Kanshiro had been trained under the first Hirata Hikozo.
Iron (actually steel)
H: 81,2 mm
W: 76,8 mm
R: 4,1 mm
Sd: 4,4 mm
