Japanese Swords

Juyo Explanation

Additional Information

Finding an authentic Masashige Tanto with NBTHK Juyo Token certification for sale is extremely rare, as these are considered to be important cultural objects and are held in private collections and museums. This Tanto by Masashige is Meito ( Famous Blade and a Masterpiece) The NBTHK are extremely careful in issuing Juyo Certificates for Muramasa and Masashige as the greater majority of swords were destroyed during the Sengoku era ( warring states ) in Japan 1573-1603. And also gimei (fakes are common), excerpt is by Ogasawara Nobuo Sensei, former curator of Nihonto of the National Sword Museum in Ueno,Tokyo, Ogasawara Sensei was also a book writer and devoted his life in the research of Nihonto, Tosogu. Born 1939 - 2018, he was widely recognised for his scholarly contributions particularly his work related to the Tokyo National Sword Museum and his publications that serve as essential reference's for students and collectors of Japanese Samurai Swords and Sword fittings.
I was a student and friend of Ogasawara Sensei for many years when I lived in Japan, and his guidance contributed to a wealth of knowledge.

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Juyo Explanation 

Historical information on YAMASHIRO No KUNI KUNIKIYO Shodai ( First generation with Kikumon )

Matsudaira Tadamasa - Wikipedia

Sayagaki obverse:

第⼗九回重要⼑剣指定品
⼭城守藤原国清
七字銘ニ加ヘ菊紋与鍛南蠻鐡釼ノ添銘有之
刃⻑壱尺七⼨五分半
峕令和壬寅秊松⾵⽉探⼭識「花押」

Dai jūkyū-kai Jūyō-Tōken shitei-hin
Yamashiro no Kami Fujiwara Kunikiyo
Shichiji-mei ni kuwae kiku-mon yo kono ken nanban-tetsu o kitaeru no soe-mei kore ari.
Hachō isshaku shichi-sun go-bu han
Toki ni Reiwa mizunoe-toradoshi matsukazetsuki Tanzan shirusu + kaō

Jūyō-Tōken in course of 19th Jūyō Shinsa
Yamashiro no Kami Fujiwara Kunikiyo
This blade bears a seven-character signature, a chrysantyemum crest, and is additionally
inscribed that it was forged from nanban-tetsu.
Blade length ~ 53.2 cm
Written by Tanzan [Tanobe Michihiro] in June in the year of the tiger of the Reiwa era (2022) +
monogram.

Sayagaki reverse:

初代国清也幅廣・⼤鋒デ重ネ薄ク腰元ノミ重ネ厚キ形態ヲ⾒セ精強ナル⼩板⽬ノ肌合ニ⼤互乃

⽬乱ヲ焼キ沸匂深厚⽽匂⼝ガ明ルク冴ヘ同⼯ニ多ク経眼スル直刃デナク⼤互乃⽬ヲ焼キタルガ

注⽬サレ然モ出来ガ傑出シ乱刃ノ最⾼ノ⽔準ヲ⽰ス者ナラン倶利迦羅ノ浮彫モ巧技也

Shodai Kunikiyo nari. Haba-hiro, ō-kissaki de kasane usuku koshimoto nomi kasane atsuki keitai o mise seikyō-naru ko-itame no hada-ai ni ō-gunome-midare o yaki nie nioi shinkō shikamo nioiguchi ga akaruku sae dōkō ni ōku keigan-suru suguha de naku ō-gunome o yakitaru ga chūmoku-sare shika mo deki ga kesshutsu-shi midareba no saikō no suijun o shimesu mono naran. Kurikara no ukibori mo kōgi nari.

This is a work of the first generation Kunikiyo. It is of a shape with wide mihaba, ō-kissaki, and thin kasane, with just the base displaying a thick kasane. The forging structure is a fine and powerful ko-itame and the hardening is a nie-laden ō-gunome-midare with a wide, bright, and clear nioiguchi. Thus, it has to be pointed out that most works of Kunikiyo are hardened in suguha, whereupon this blade displays, as indicated an ō-gunome. The deki is excellent and we have here what can be regarded as the highest level seen with a midareba. In addition, the relief of a kurikara is skillfully engraved as well.

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Aikuchi-style tantō-koshirae featuring glossy black lacquer saya with makie décor of swallowtail butterflies.

Late Edo period.
Overall length of koshirae ~ 43.0 cm
Length of hilt ~ 11.2 cm; length of saya ~ 31.8 cm
Blade length ~ 26.6 cm; only a hint of sori.
Length of tang ~ 8.5 cm
Motohaba ~ 2.4 cm; kasane ~ 0.4 cm

Obverse of kozuka of shakudō with nanako ground and gold takabori-iroe décor. Back plate gilded.

Menuki of pure gold and interpreted in katachibori.

Saya in glossy black lacquer featuring raised gold and silver powder makie décor of swallowtail butterflies.

Horn elements gilded with gold powder
Hilt unwrapped and covered with same lacquered with silver powder.
Twofold gold-foiled habaki with base.

[Picture of obverse and reverse of koshirae.]

[Details of swallowtail butterflies makie décor, kozuka, and menuki. For original size, see cover.]

It appears that this mounting was handed down by a warrior related to the Ikeda (池田) family. We have here an aikuchi-tantō-koshirae featuring ensuite kozuka and menuki fittings displaying swallowtail butterfly crests and a saya with a gorgeous makie décor of the same motif. The koshirae appears to have once mounted a renowned Kotō blade, possibly a Kamakura period Yamashiro work. The kozuka is of jet-black shakudō with beautiful nanako surface and is decorated with brilliantly shining gold swallowtail butterfly crests carved in takabori relief and set into the plate. Such a contrasting combination of a black ground and gold décor was typical for Daimyō fittings. The highly tasteful purplish-grey color of the same-covered hilt lacquered in silver powder and being unwrapped, just featuring solid gold menuki of swallowtail butterfly crests appears to follow the same contrasting decorative approach. The makie décor on that is found on both sides of the saya is slightly raised, and the swallowtail butterfly crests, for which gold powder with slightly different hues and silver powder was used, are oriented in different ways. The result is flamboyant, yet highly dignified, and the mounting has a very bewitching charm. The gold- foiled habaki with base is contemporary to the koshirae, which adds to the value of this object.

Era : Muromachi Jidai (Era)
Hacho : ( Edge length ) 27.5 cm , slight curvature.
Moto-haba : (Width at Ha-machi ) 2.8cm
Kasane : (Thickness) 0.6cm
Meguki Ana : ( hole in Tang) 1
Nakago : Ubu ( Unaltered, original)
Mei : KANETO - He Lived in Seki, MINO 1504-1521 ( Muromachi Jidai )
Hamon: Ko Nie Deki Midare
Jitetsu : Ko itame hada and komokume hada, jinie, shirake utsuri.
Habaki is Silver over copper

Overall condition of Tanto is perfect.
Overall condition of Koshirae is perfect.

KOSHIRAE : (Ornate mountings )
Finally crushed Abalone shells incorporated into the lacquer of this Tanto scabbard give it a green , shimmering finish, the period fittings are off the same design and certified.

Explanation : This Tanto comes from a turbulent part of Japanese Samurai History, Mino Sword smiths were renowned for their Sword making. Mino no Kuni was a province that is today called southern Gifu Prefecture . There were many famous Sword smiths working in Mino amongst them Sekino Magoroku Kanemoto, and Nosada who were well revered. Tanto by KANETO are very rare and this is the first time I have had the opportunity to find one and make it available for collectors, it comes from a Japanese collector. The Hamon is balanced on both sides and it is polished in Sashikomi polish ( The classical style ) exhibiting a beautiful uniform hamon on both sides of the blade. The Hamon of the Kissaki ( Boshi ) is beautiful on both sides and adds an expression to the Tanto. I highly recommend this Tanto and Koshirae as an important part of Japanese Samurai History.

Certification : NBTHK Hozon certificates for Tanto and also Koshirae ( double certificates ) verifying the authenticity.

Yamashiro Eisho era about 1510年前　Edge length： 23.6㎝　Curvature:Minimal

Shirasaya:Sayagaki by Dr.Kanzan Sato

Gold foil single Habaki

Koshirae : Black Aikuchi Koshirae with Black Same Tsuka

Fittings : Mumei Mukade Menuki ( Centipede ) and Mumei Mukade Kozuka from late Muromachi Period. Koshirae is in exceptional condition.

Registered in 1951 in Tokyo

NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Certificate

Nagayoshi was a sword smith who was good at engraving works like Suken, Bonji, Japanese-characters etc. His home was Yamashiro province. It was said that there were some Nagayoshi generations from Ouei-era to Eisho-era. This Tanto is attributed to the fifth generation Nagayoshi. He forged a lot of pieces in Yamato province, Mikawa province and Ise province. You may know that the famous Sword Smith Muramasa in Ise province was trained under 5th generation Nagayoshi. This Tanto shape is really elegant and balanced well with 「千秋楽」Senshuraku engraving. And I have never seen the engraving ( groove ) on the back of edge ( Mune ). I am not sure why Nagayoshi did it on the Mune, but it might be the blood flowing channel, this is extremely rare. HEIANJO NAGAYOSHI 5th Generation Tanto are extremely rare. This Tanto has been preserved in perfect condition as is the Koshirae.

I can feel the threatening atmosphere in this engraving. It was a Tanto which had a purpose to protect the owner. The Suken on the front-side is a perfect Yamashiro style Suken. You can find the top of Suken wider and it was positioned along the Mune-side. These are specific points of Yamashiro engraving. It has a Japanese calligraphy note by Kanzan Sato “It was forged by Heianjo Nagayoshi but it is the Nijimei Nagayoshi signed piece”.