Kamiyama Keigyoku- 神山 珪玉
Female Tsubako Did you ever wonder if there were female Tsuba makers? Well, yes there were and quite good ones at that!
Kamiyama Keigyoku- 神山 珪玉 Female Tsubako Did you ever wonder if there were female Tsuba makers? Well, yes there were and quite good ones at that! Kamiyama Keigyoku for one was the daughter of Kamiyama Hanzo who is known under his artist name Munemichi. Her name was Sada and she was the elder of his two daughters. As Munemichi’s son took over the lead of his wife’s family, the two sister carried on the Kinko workshop of Munemichi. Her father’s teacher was the 4th generation Tsuchiya Yasuchika and it is not surprising that Sada also carried on working in the style of Yasuchika with very classic designs. She and here sister ‘Mitsu’, who also became a skilful artist were active in the early 19th century. Haynes mentions several recorded items of her and the Meikan lists here as a skilful worker. This Tsuba is made from Shakudo and the Dragon and waves on the Omote (表) front, is carved from the base metal with copper and gold inlays. The Ura (裏) back, shows a Tiger in Shibuichi inside a cave with several inlays. Dragon and Tiger stand for the two forces yin and yang. The Minneapolis Institute of Art describes this motive quite nicely as following: “Male traits are yang, and female traits are yin. Yang qualities are active, while yin qualities are passive. Everything in the universe results from the interaction of yin and yang. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Token.
2 high-resolution detail views — use zoom viewer to inspect hamon, jihada, and metalwork
Kamiyama Keigyoku
神山 珪玉Kamiyama Keigyoku (神山 珪玉) is a rare and enigmatic female *tosogu* (sword fitting) artisan active during the late Edo period, whose work is distinguished by its refined execution and evocative subject matter [Keigyoku Wolf Tsuba, female tosogu artist! - Tosogu - Nihonto Message Board](https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/29452-keigyoku-wolf-tsuba-female-tosogu-artist/). While her specific artistic lineage and province remain undocumented in standard references, her surviving *tsuba* are noted for a "subtle elegance" and high technical proficiency characteristic of the *machibori* (independent town carver) tradition [Keigyoku Wolf Tsuba, female tosogu artist! - Tosogu - Nihonto Message Board](https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/29452-keigyoku-wolf-tsuba-female-tosogu-artist/). She is particularly recognized for poignant thematic motifs, such as the "lean wolf on a battlefield," which collectors and scholars interpret as both a literary allusion to the haiku of Matsuo Basho and a possible social critique of the late Tokugawa shogunate [Keigyoku Wolf Tsuba, female tosogu artist! - Tosogu - Nihonto Message Board](https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/29452-keigyoku-wolf-tsuba-female-tosogu-artist/). Though she remains an obscure figure in broader histories, Keigyoku holds a specialized standing among serious collectors who prize the extreme scarcity of authenticated metalwork produced by female artists during the samurai era.