説明

Antique Japanese Sword Katana Signed by Kanekuni with NBTHK JUYO TOKEN Certificate 【Description】 Summary This sword is signed Washū Tegai-jū Kanekuni (和州手掻住包国), a member of a distinguished lineage of swordsmiths that originated in the Kamakura period with Tegai Kanehisa (手掻包永) and continued unbroken until the Edo period. The fifth-generation Kanekuni (五代目包国, Godaime Kanekuni), active in the early Edo period during the Keichō era (1596–1615), was the elder brother of the renowned Nanki Shigekuni (南紀重国). This sword bears not only Kanekuni’s signature but also an inscription stating that it was forged in Sunpu (駿府), the seat of Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川家康) after his retirement. Such inscriptions, reading “Washū Tegai-jū Shigekuni oite Sunpu kore o tsukuru” (和州手掻住重国於駿府造之), are often referred to as “Sunpu-uchi (駿府打ち)”, or “forged at Sunpu.” Kanekuni, whose personal name is recorded as Monju Kurōsaburō (文殊九郎三郎), and his younger brother Shigekuni were summoned to Sunpu around Keichō 15 (1610) by Tokugawa Ieyasu. Alongside the celebrated Yasutsugu, they worked as official swordsmiths in Sunpu until about Genna 5 (1619), when they later accompanied Ieyasu’s son, Tokugawa Yorinobu, to Wakayama in Kii Province. Together, Kanekuni and Shigekuni became known as the “Suruga Monju (駿河文殊)”, highly acclaimed as leading masters of the Keichō Shintō (慶長新刀) movement. They inherited the forging traditions of the Tegai school (手掻派) of Yamato and are remembered as among the finest swordsmiths of the early Edo period. After the death of Tokugawa Ieyasu, they continued to serve as the official retainers and swordsmiths of Tokugawa Yorinobu, leaving behind numerous masterpieces that secured their reputation as some of the greatest smiths of the Shintō era. Yamato Region During the Kamakura to early Muromachi period, five prestigious schools of swordsmithing flourished in Yamato Province. They are collectively known as the Yamato Goha (大和五派, “Five Traditions of Yamato”), consisting of the Senjūin (千手院), Shikkake (尻懸), Taima (当麻), Hōshō (保昌), and Tegai (手掻) schools. These schools were closely associated with the powerful Buddhist temples in Nara, such as Tōdaiji, and produced swords primarily for the warrior monks ( sōhei ) who had gained great political and military influence under the government’s policies of the time. Because rivalries between temples were frequent and often violent, the monks required large numbers of weapons to defend themselves, and strong, reliable swords were essential. The Yamato schools, including the Hōshō school, rose to prominence by meeting these demands, and in their peak period they also forged blades for samurai warriors. Swords from the Yamato tradition are especially admired for their refined jigane (steel surface) and their clear, straight suguha tempering line. This blade displays precisely those features, with a beautiful jigane and suguha hamon that exemplify the Yamato style at its finest. Based on the shape of the nakago (tang), it was shortened at some point in history, and its original length is thought to have been considerably longer than it appears today. Appraisal This blade is appraised as a JUYO TOKEN (重要刀剣) issued by NBTHK (Nihon Bijutsu Touken Hozon Kyokai: 日本美術刀剣保存協会). This authentication paper was only given to authentic Japanese swords, exceptionally well preserved and of high quality with artistic value. JUYO is one rank higher than Tokubetsu Hozon. To be eligible for a Juyo Token, it needs to be appraised as a Tokubetsu Hozon Token first. It is extremely rare for an antique Japanese sword to be appraised as JUYO TOKEN, and it is highly desirable among Japanese sword collectors. 【 Blade】 Cutting Edge Length (Nagasa) : 73.5 cm (28.9 inches) Curvature (Sori) : 2.0 cm (0.78 inches) Hamon : The crystalline structure which forms along the cutting edge of a blade as a result of the hardening process. Jimon (Jihada) : Visible steel surface pattern created by folding and hammering during forging process. Kissaki