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

The schools of this warlike province owe their inception to the patronage of the local daimiō, Hosokawa Tadaoki (d. 1645), himself an amateur maker of guards. Amongst the workers summoned by him to Higo were Hirata [Japanese text] Hikozō and Nishigaki [Japanese text] Kanshirō, who early founded each a school [unrepresented in the collection]. Their following was outshone, however, by the Hayashi [Japanese text] or Kasuga [Japanese text] group; other important Higo workers were the Kamiyoshi [Japanese text], the Shimidzu-Jingo [Japanese text], and, the Suwa [Japanese text]. Each of these schools adopted an individual style and affected unusual forms, especially for the mounts other than guards.

Flat piercing, often enriched with broad effects in gold or silver wire inlay, or else bold incrustation of brass or sentoku on Iron, as well as a marked originality, not to say eccentricity of design, are among the characteristics of Higo work. The riōhitsu are often of unusually large size and abnormal shape.

Kasuga-Hayashi

Tsuba with karigane, or flying geese (EAX.10309)    Tsuba with gosan-no-kiri, or paulownia leaves (EAX.10310)    Tsuba with blossoming plum branches (EAX.10311)

Tsuba with pine foliage (EAX.10312)

Kamiyoshi

Lenticular tsuba with Amida-yasurime, or radial striations (EAX.10313)    Tsuba with heraldic cherry blossoms (EAX.10314)

Shimidzu-Jingo

Aori-shaped tsuba with an eagle (EAX.10315)    Mokkō-shaped tsuba with spider and cobweb (EAX.10316)    Mokkō-shaped tsuba with petals or snow crystals (EAX.10316.a)

Tsuba with mitsudomoye, or three-comma shapes (EAX.10317)    Tsuba with kiri, or paulownia, leaves (EAX.10318)    Aori-shaped tsuba with zigzag mat pattern (EAX.10318.a)

Tsuba with flowers and scrolls (EAX.10319)    Aoi-shaped tsuba with kiri, or paulownia, leaves (EAX.10320)    Tsuba with smilax tendrils (EAX.10321)