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

Like the other famous schools, Gotō and Yokoya, the Nara exerted an almost incalculable influence on the first metalwork of the 18^th century. Founded at Yedo by Nara [Japanese text] Toshiteru in the first half of the 17^th century, it was signalised by nine successive Masters and nearly two-score pupils. Of these latter, however, four in particular (Toshinaga I, JōI, Yasuchika I, and Hamano Shōzui) completely outshone their masters and founded new schools and styles of their own

The original Ko-nara (“old Nara”) style favours iroye incrustation of the soft metals on iron grounds in realistic designs taken from nature; but other grounds and methods appear as the style develops.

Lobed tsuba in the form of a rice bale with two rats (EAX.10920)    Tsuba depicting Nitta Shirō Tadatsune searching a cave (EAX.10921)    Tsuba depicting Ono Michikaze in a landscape (EAX.10922)

Mokkō-shaped tsuba with egrets in a stream (EAX.10923)    Tsuba in the form of an oni, or demon (EAX.10924)    Tsuba depicting Gentoku on horseback (EAX.10925)

Tsuba depicting Gentoku on horseback (EAX.10926)    Tsuba depicting the Chinese hero Ch'ang Fei mounted in full armour (EAX.10927)    Tsuba depicting the Chinese hero Chao Yün with A Tou (EAX.10928)

Tsuba depicting the Chinese hero Chao Yün with A Tou (EAX.10929)    Tsuba depicting the Chinese sage Ch'in Kao riding a carp (EAX.10930)    Tsuba with bamboo (EAX.10931)