Edo period.

Dimensions: 70.3 x 66.2 x 4.1 mm

650 €

Agyo is usually depicted with his mouth open and associated with the sound « ah, » the first sound of birth.

Edo period.

Dimensions :
Fuchi : 38,3 x 19,7 x 6,9 mm
Kashira : 34 x 19 mm

620 €

For two swords. Decorated with an openwork Mount Fuji. Contemporary yet beautifully crafted.
The wood is heavy and appears to be a precious wood, possibly ebony.

Width: 27.2 cm
Depth: 13.3 cm
Height: 25.8 cm

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This sword comes from the sixth generation of Masahiro, also known as Tsunahiro Yamamura.

He changed his name to Tsunahiro when he entered the service of Hōjō Ujitsuna of the Go-Hōjō clan, one of the most powerful warrior clans of the Sengoku period (1477-1573).

This signature is rare because it seems that the majority of his work was produced under the name Tsunahiro.

Muromachi period (~1532) – Koto
Sagami Province
Sue-Soshu School

Superb ubu (unshortened) blade, signed, in perfect condition, and crafted in a beautiful and rare sugata (shape) with a thickness that tapers towards the shinogi-ji on the omote side. High-quality horimono, shaped like grooves, are present on both sides of the first section of the blade.
The hamon is made of ko nie-deki with a beautiful Midare Hitatsura design, typical of this talented swordsmith’s work.
The jigane was forged from a fine itame with moku and ji-nie elements.
The koshirae dates from the Edo period and features primarily iron and copper elements depicting the Shishi lion.
The tsuba, also featuring the Shishi lion, is made of iron with a shakudo fukurin, an openwork design with gilt decoration.
The menuki are imposing and of very high quality, depicting two copper Shishi lions accompanied by gilt peonies. The kozuka is finely crafted in shakudo with a floral motif and gilt decoration.

NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Certificate

Fujishiro Grade (Prestige of the swordsmith) : Koto Josaku
Yamada Grade (Cutting power efficiency) : Ryowazamono

Blade Dimensions:
Nagasa: 53.5 cm
Motohaba: 3 cm
Motokasane: 6.5 mm
Sori: 1.2 cm

Sōshū-den refers to one of the five Japanese sword-making traditions known as « Gokaden » during the Koto period (late Heian to early Momoyama). It is distinguished by several leading swordsmiths in the history of Japanese swordmaking (Masamune, Sadamune, Go Yoshihiro, Kunimitsu, Kunihiro, etc.) and has inspired the greatest swordsmiths of all eras.
Masahiro (or Yamamura Tsunahiro) was considered the best and most influential swordsmith in Sue Soshu. He was active around the Tenmon era (1532-1555), and his first signature was « Masahiro, » which he changed to « Tsunahiro » when he worked for Hōjō Ujitsuna of the Go-Hōjō clan, one of the most powerful warrior clans of the Sengoku period (1477-1573).
As can be seen here, the quality of his work is remarkable. He also excelled in engraving, and many of his blades feature Horimono (carved decorations). This sword is therefore a perfect example of what Masahiro was capable of: a true work of art.

7200 €

Late Edo period
Soten and Nara/Omori schools

Sumptuous Koshirae (decorative ornaments) featuring warriors, Oni demons, and Shishi lions.
The tsuba (handguard) is signed by Sōheishi Nyudō Soten and depicts a scene of warriors sculpted in high relief. It is made of shakudo (wooden stone) with a fine and beautifully regular nanako-ji (wooden molding), gilding, and silver and copper inlays.
The Fuchi-Kashira (decorative ornament) is signed by Toshinaga, an artist of the Nara school. It is decorated with a representation of Shoki, a Japanese folktale recounting how the giant Shoki chases away the demons that haunt the dreams of Emperor Genso-Kotei. On the Fuchi, we see the demons, and on the Kashira, Shoki riding a lion. This lion is also featured on the Menuki (decorative ornament), a very fine piece of work in two colors: one in polished shakudo and the other in gold.
The Kozuka is an exceptional piece. Signed with the prestigious name of Chizuka Hisanori, it is of remarkable quality. The colors of the various metals are vibrant and deep, and the carving is exquisitely detailed.
Hisanori, also known as Bunji, born on March 7, 1725, and died on October 20, 1795, was the best student of the great Omori Teruhide, as well as a samurai in the service of Daimyo Matsudaira of the Moriyama clan. He worked primarily in the style of the Omori school, which he refined in certain aspects. He held the excellent rank of Joko in the Kinko Meikan.
As for the Saya, it is decorated with magnificent traditional urushi lacquer in vermilion and gold tones.

Dimensions (approximate) :
Total length = 70 cm
Tsunagi Nagasa = 45 cm
Tsunagi Motohaba = 3,2 cm
Tsunagi Sori = 1,4 cm

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Late Edo
Ichiryû – Mito school
Kinko Meikan rank : Ryoko / Joko

This beautiful katana-sized tsuba is made of shakudo embellished with gold and silver accents, on the theme of the unryu dragon.
The work is very fine and of high quality, with a beautiful relief and many details.

The Ichiryû school was founded by Hirano Ryôsuke, born in 1716, under the pseudonym « Ichiryû Tomoyoshi ».

Dimensions : 7,9 x 7,4 cm

2700 €

Early Edo – Kanbun Shinto – Owari Province
Owari Seki School

Mei / Signature :
Omote : Masatsune
Ura : February 1660

Massive and large blade of almost 80 cm (which is rare for this period), ubu, signed and dated.  Its state of preservation is particularly remarkable with its 9mm Kasane.
Very nice hamon made in a large suguha in ko nie deki not devoid of activity, where we can see some sunagashi and ashi.
The high quality kitae is made in a beautiful and regular ko-itame.

This gorgeous blade is accompagnied by a shirasaya with a sayagaki made by the expert Tanobe Tanzan, whose reputation is well known in the world of nihonto after a long career with the NBTHK.
Here is the exact translation of this sayagaki:
- Oshu (another name for the province of Owari)
- Nando Sasuke (customary name of the blacksmith)
- Masatsune (name of the blacksmith)
- 2 kanji characters, the date of February 1660.
- Fourth generation (But it can also be seen as the third since the life of the second Masatsune was very short-lived as he died before the first. So in fact the third can be seen as the second generation and the fourth the third).
- The length of the blade is particularly long and slightly curved, like a stick, and it has a robust appearance, a typical Shinto Kanbun shape.
- The Ji-gane has a slightly modified form of Itame-hada.
- Ashi and Yo (Nioi-kuzure) appear in the Suguha in Ko nie-deki.
- This is an excellent example of the skill of this smith.
- The length of the blade is 2 shaku 6 sun 2 bu (79.6cm).
- This is written in the month of plum observation in the year of the dog Boshin. (This is around March 2018).
- Tanzan (Tanobe, very well known and reputed in the nihonto world after his long career in the NBTHK).

A beautiful satsuma style koshirae, just as rare as the blade, is also attached. The various tosogu elements are made of solid silver with a patina and a beautiful iron tsuba of the same theme (nami).

NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon certificate

Fujishiro grade : Shinto Chujosaku

Dimensions :
Nagasa = 79,6 cm
Motohaba = 32,5 mm
Kasane = 9 mm
Sori = 1 cm

This prestigious school was founded by the blacksmiths of Seki in Mino who emigrated to Owari at the end of the Muromachi period to follow Oda Nobunaga.
Masatsune, also called Nando Sasuke, is the yondai (4th generation). He received the title of Mino no Kami in 1662, and died in the spring of 1689. Ten generations followed behind him…

14500 €

(This sword is on consignment. It belongs to a French collector.)

Edo period.

The tsuba is in shakudo, mokko-gata shape and of the waki-Goto school style, a branch of the famous Goto school. The patterns represent an unryu dragon in the clouds, flying over a raging sea.
The fuchi-kashira pair is in shakudo, of exemplary quality and great finesse, with some gold and copper inlays. The carving work is clean and precise, worthy of a master’s work.
The menuki, of excellent quality and also in shakudo, complete the whole thing with panache.
The great particularity of this koshirae is its saya which is embellished with a superb kojiri in shibuichi signed with the prestigious name of Ichijo of the Goto school. The work, of remarkable quality, represents an Unryu dragon crossing a cloud. The artistic style of this dragon is very detailed and of great originality with its long tapering claws and its rounded muzzle and frontal area of ​​the skull. The scales are also of controlled regularity and finesse.

Dimensions:
Total length = 92cm
Length of the saya = 68.5 cm
Koiguchi (inside) = 31.9 x 12 mm
Tsunagi nagasa = 58 cm
Tsunagi motohaba = 27.4mm
Tsunagi sori = 17.3mm
Length of the tsuka = ​​22.8 cm
Tsuka nakago ana (with fuchi) = 25.9 x 7.8 mm
Nakago ana depth = approx. 18 cm

4500 €

First generation (shodai)

Early Edo period – 1624
Settsu Province (Osaka)
School name: Kunisuke

Gorgeous blade in perfect condition with elegant sugata reminiscent of the Ishidō style from which Shodai Kunisuke emerged.
The jigane is an excellently crafted hada itame, slightly loosened, allowing the grain structure to be clearly visible. This type of itame is typical of the Horikawa school.
We therefore have here a perfect illustration of Shodai Kunisuke’s craftsmanship in a single blade, combining the influences of his two favorite schools and retaining the spirit of the Sengoku era style. The hamon is bright, in the gunome midare style, interspersed with notare, dotted with sunagashi and ashi.
The koshirae is composed of iron elements themed around the koi carp, a symbol of luck and happiness, with gilded copper and silver inlays. The saya is decorated with elaborate traditional lacquer with matte and glossy black urushi rings.

Blade dimensions:
Nagasa = 67.6 cm
Sori = 1.6 cm
Motohaba = 3 cm
Kasane = 0,65 cm

Fujishiro rank: Shinto Josaku
Yamada rank: Wazamono

NBTHK Certificate Tokubetsu Hozon

Shodai Kunisuke, founder of her own school, was born in Kameyama, Ise Province, under the surname Kobayashi. He was a vassal of the lord of Kameyama Castle, Seki Nagato no Kami, and it was only after the latter’s fall that he decided to become a swordsmith. He subsequently went to Kyoto, where he became a disciple of Horikawa Kunihiro and worked closely with Izumi no kami Kunisada.
His high-quality work earned him the honorary title of Kawachi no kami around 1623.

As his works have become very rare these days, this beautiful katana would make a fine piece in any collection of a self-respecting lover of Japanese sword art…

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Sadatsugu Shimosaka

Early Edo – Echizen Province – 1624
Shimosaka School

Superb ubu and signed blade, a single mekugi ana, and in perfect condition. This one is decorated with Horimono in the form of Futasuji-bi grooves on each side, a characteristic specific to this school.
The jigane is made of an itame-nagare hada of excellent quality, in the Koto-Seki style.
Hamon in niedeki of Notare shape ending in komaru boshi. The nioi is deep, homogeneous and bright. We can also admire some Ashi and ji-nie scattered in places.
The koshirae, on the theme of autumn and the tea ceremony, is richly decorated.
The tsuba in the form of « Kurikomi mokko gata » is made of patinated copper, engraved with golden geometric patterns.
The Fuchi-Kashira set is made of shakudo with nanako-ji work, decorated with gilding representing Japanese maple leaves.
The Kozuka and Wari-Bashi (chopsticks) are also made of nanako-ji shakudo, one illustrated with utensils referring to the tea ceremony, and the other with a plum branch and a heron.
The saya is lacquered with a very beautiful gold-spangled urushi called Nashiji, which gives it a luxurious appearance that does not leave our eyes indifferent.
Finally, the menuki represent incense burners used in the tea ceremony and are made of solid gold.

NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Certificate

Fujishiro Grade: Josaku

Dimensions:
Nagasa: 30.5 cm
Sori: 0.2 cm
Moto-haba: 2.8 cm
Moto-kasane: 0.5 cm

The Shimosaka school was founded by Ichisaemon Yasutsugu, a blacksmith from Shimosaka in Omi Province.
Sadatsugu was a student of Sandai Yasutsugu of the Echizen branch, and he is considered one of the most prestigious blacksmiths of this school.
A school whose particularity was the production of high quality horimono as we can easily see on this superb blade.

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