The highest ranking of the official painters *goyō-eshi 御用絵師 employed by the shogunate during the Edo period. The term refers specifically to four branches of the Kano family: the Kajibashi Kano 鍛冶橋狩野, the Kobikichō Kano 木挽町狩野, the Nakabashi Kano 中橋狩野 and the Hamachō Kano 浜町狩野. The Kajibashi branch was founded by Kano Tan'yū 狩野探幽 (1602-74), who was summoned to Edo from Kyoto in 1617 and awarded a residence outside the Kajibashi gate, plus a hereditary annual stipend. The Kobikichō branch was founded by Tan'yū's disciple, Naonobu 尚信 (1607-50). Naonobu was awarded a mansion in Takegawachō 竹川町 in 1630, but in 1777, Kano Michinobu 狩野典信 (1730-90), then head of the branch, moved to a residence in Kobikichō from which the branch derives its name. The Nakabashi branch was founded by Kano Yasunobu 狩野安信 (1614-85), who was awarded a residence in Nakabashi during the Hōei 宝永 era (1704-11). The Hamachō branch was founded by Kano Minenobu狩野岑信 (1662-1709). The term oku-eshi is used to distinguish these four branches of the Kano family from the lower-ranking official painters, termed *omote-eshi 表絵師. The oku-eshi were required to be in attendance in the painting bureau, ebeya 絵部屋 of Edo castle on a fixed day each month. See *Kano-ha 狩野派.
Lineages:
Kajibashi Kano: Tan'yū 探幽 (1602-74), Tanshin 探信 (1653-1718), Tansen 探船 (1686-1728), Tanjō 探常 (1706-56), Tanrin 探林 (1732-77), Tamboku 探牧 (1759-1832), Tanshin 探信 (1775-1835), Tan'en 探淵 (1805-53), Tangen 探原 (1828-66)
Kobikichō Kano: Naonobu 尚信 (1607-50), Tsunenobu 常信 (1636-1713), Chikanobu 周信 (1660-1728), Hisanobu 古信 (1696-1731), Harunobu 玄信 (1715-31), Michinobu 典信 (1730-90), Korenobu 惟信 (1753-1808), Naganobu 栄信 (1775-1828), Osanobu 養信 (1796-1846), Tadanobu 雅信 (1823-79)
Nakabashi Kano : Yasunobu 安信 (1614-85), Morinobu 主信 (1675-1724), Norinobu憲信 (1692-1731), Terunobu 英信 (1717-63), Takanobu 高信 (1743-94), Yasunobu 泰信 (1767-98), Kuninobu 邦信 (1787-1840), Tachinobu 立信 (1814-91)
Hamachō Kano: Minenobu 岑信 (1662-1709), Yoshinobu 甫信 (1695?-1745), Sachinobu 幸信 (1713-70), Hidenobu 昆信(1747-92), Hironobu 寛信 (1778-1815), Akinobu 昭信 (1799-1816), Sukenobu 助信 (1810-31), Nakanobu 中信 (1811-71), Tomonobu 友信 (1843-1912).