Translator Reviews ( Japanese → English )

Japanese

江戸前期の装剣金工家。平田派の開祖。
江戸時代初頭に肥後(熊本県)で栄えた肥後金工の名工。
細川忠興に従って京都から移住したと伝えられる。主として鐔の制作に従事し,
「翁鑢梅花透鐔」「菊透鐔」(いずれも東京国立博物館蔵)などがある。
地金には山金,素銅,真鍮を用い,鉄は少ない。板鐔を透かしたものや唐草文などの彫込象嵌を好み,まれに七宝象嵌を施したものもある。彦三は2代目以降も明治まで続いた。

English

He was a swordsmith in the early Edo period, the founder of Hirata school. A famous swordsmith of Higo metalwork, which prospered in Higo (Kumatoto Prefecture) in the early Edo period. It’s believed that he followed Hosokawa Tadayoshi from Kyoto. Mainly he worked on the production of the tsuba, and some of his works are found in Tokyo National Museum. He used mainly mountain gold, copper, and brass for the bare metal, rarely steel. He preferred to utilize watermarks and engraved inlays such as arabesque, occasionally cloisonne enamel inlays. Hikozo lasted until the Meiji era after the second generation.