Ashmolean Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

Possibly a branch of the Miōchin (Group IV), this family was founded by Ishikawa Kinai, who moved from Kiōto to Echizen province [Japanese text] and died in 1680. The succeeding masters, however, bore the surname of Takahashi. All sign only Kinai [Japanese text], with differences in the characters used and in the manner of writing them.

The Kinai made guards only, of hard and well forged iron usually coated with the black magnetic oxide. They confined themselves to pierced relief showing extraordinary cleanness both of design and execution. Any considerable heightening of gold is found as a rule only in later work. Dragons in the round appear first in guards by the third master, fishes, birds, etc., in those of the fifth; while designs of autumn flowers and the like come still later.

Owing to their numbers and the difficulty of otherwise classifying them, the Kinai guards in the collection have been arranged according to subject.

N.B. – Unless the contrary is stated, all guards in this group are (1) in modelled openwork within narrow border, (2) signed Echizen no jū Kinai saku (“made by Kinai, residing in Echizen province”), and (3) of 19^th century date.

Tsuba with roof tiles depicting a demon mask and chrysanthemum (EAX.10457)    Tsuba with dragon and clouds (EAX.10458)    Tsuba in the form of a dragon (EAX.10459)

Tsuba in the form of a coiled dragon (EAX.10460)    Tsuba in the form of a rain dragon (EAX.10461)    Tsuba with three flying cranes (EAX.10462)

Tsuba with five flying cranes (EAX.10463)    Tsuba with three flying cranes (EAX.10464)    Tsuba with five paper cranes (EAX.10465)

Tsuba with a cuckoo flying across a full moon (EAX.10466)    Round tsuba with two flying swallows (EAX.10467)    Tsuba in the form of an awabi shell (EAX.10468)

Tsuba in the form of awabi and clam shells (EAX.10469)    Tsuba in the form of awabi and clam shells (EAX.10470)    Round tsuba with clam shells (EAX.10471)

Round tsuba with overlapping clam and scallop shells (EAX.10472)    Tsuba in the form of overlapping sea shells (EAX.10473)    Tsuba in the form of overlapping sea shells (EAX.10474)

Tsuba with ten shells (EAX.10475)    Round tsuba in the form of two aoi, or hollyhock leaves (EAX.10476)    Round tsuba in the form of an aoi, or hollyhock plant (EAX.10477)

Round tsuba with three heraldic aoi, or hollyhock leaves (EAX.10478)    Tsuba in the form of an aoi, or hollyhock leaf (EAX.10479)    Tsuba in the form of three aoi, or hollyhock leaves (EAX.10480)

Tsuba with two aoi, or hollyhock leaves (EAX.10481)    Tsuba with two aoi, or hollyhock leaves (EAX.10482)    Tsuba in the form of two aoi, or hollyhock leaves (EAX.10483)

Round tsuba with stylized chrysanthemum flowers (EAX.10484)    Round tsuba with chrysanthemum flower and leaf (EAX.10485)    Round tsuba with chrysanthemum flower and leaves (EAX.10486)

Round tsuba with three stylized chrysanthemums (EAX.10487)    Tsuba with reed blind, court fan, and pine needles (EAX.10488)    Tsuba with paulownia flowers and leaves (EAX.10489)

Tsuba in the form of a double plum blossom (EAX.10490)    Round tsuba with plum blossoms (EAX.10491)    Tsuba with blossoming plum branch (EAX.10492)

Round tsuba with cherry blossoms and leaves (EAX.10493)    Tsuba with cherry blossoms (EAX.10494)    Tsuba with arrowhead plants (EAX.10495)

Round tsuba with flowering branch (EAX.10496)    Round tsuba with karakusa, or scrolling plant pattern (EAX.10497)    Tsuba with clematis flowers (EAX.10498)

Tsuba with autumn flowers, crickets, and a mantis (EAX.10499)    Tsuba with flowers (EAX.10500)    Round tsuba with bamboo branch and leaves (EAX.10501)

Tsuba with bamboo stems and leaves (EAX.10502)    Round tsuba with gingko leaves (EAX.10503)    Round tsuba with paper mulberry leaf (EAX.10504)

Round tsuba with horsetail stems (EAX.10505)    Round tsuba with egg-fruit (EAX.10506)    Round tsuba with two mushrooms and knotted grass (EAX.10507)

Round tsuba with five mushrooms (EAX.10508)    Tsuba with tama, or sacred jewels (EAX.10509)    Round tsuba with takaramono, or precious things (EAX.10510)

Tsuba with Ogasawara-bishi mon, formed from overlapping lozenges (EAX.10511)    Round tsuba with five nakago, or sword tangs (EAX.10512)    Tsuba with four parts of a Japanese saddle (EAX.10513)

Round tsuba in the form of New Year straw rope (EAX.10514)    Tsuba with inrō, pouch, Hannya mask netsuke, and ojime (EAX.10515)    Tsuba with plum blossoms (EAX.10516)

Round tsuba with tama, or sacred jewels (EAX.10517)    Round tsuba with stage props (EAX.10518)    Round tsuba with wisteria (EAX.10519)

Tsuba with arrowhead leaves and flowers (EAX.10520)