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

Hikozo Hirata was a craftsman in gold metal for the Japanese sword furniture during early Edo period. He was an originator of Hirata School. He was one of master-hands among the gold metal craftsmen in Higo region or Higo kinko who had a flourish history in Higo (Kumamoto Prefecture) during early Edo period. According to an old story, he moved from Kyoto to Higo because he had been serving for Tadaoki Hosokawa. He mainly engaged in producing sword guards amongst which there were “Okinayasuri Baika Sukasi sword guard” and “Kiku Sukashi sword guard” etc.: both sword guards are owned by the National Museum now. He used the vein gold, copper, and brass as a ground metal and he seldom used an iron. He liked to produce sword guards with inlay works including an openwork in a plain sword guard and inlaid arabesque patterns as well as there is a few of those made by the shichiho zogan or inlaying. Hirata Schools continued to the second generation up to the Meiji period.