- Tsuba – Higo Jingo School Iron Tsuba – Matsutake under Pine

This finely worked iron tsuba attributed to the Jingo school (Higo tradition) presents a quiet, atmospheric landscape built around the classic autumn motif of matsutake mushrooms beneath windswept pine branches. The plate is an elongated maru-gata/oval form with a dense, well-aged iron ground and a deep, warm brown-black patina, characteristic of Higo taste—subdued, tactile, and deliberately understated.

The design is executed in low relief carving with selective inlay highlights: the pine trunks and branches are modelled in soft, natural contours, with traces of gold nunome/zōgan accenting bark lines and branch edges to suggest light catching the wood. The pine needles are indicated sparingly, keeping the composition calm and avoiding decorative excess. Near the lower edge, a small matsutake cluster appears—one mushroom rendered with a silvery-toned cap and another with a warm reddish accent—providing a restrained focal point and a seasonal “signature” without breaking the overall austerity.

Rather than relying on bold sukashi, the piece achieves depth through surface modulation: gentle undulations in the iron, softened relief transitions, and a carefully controlled balance of empty ground against the carved forms. This combination of quiet naturalism, economical line, and tasteful, minimal inlay aligns well with Jingo workmanship and the broader Higo preference for elegance through restraint.

Dimension

72,4 mm x 80,7 mm x 4,5 mm (Seppa) - 3,7 mm (Mimi), 124,7 g