説明

Skip to content ITEM# UJWA258 – Catalogue 45 – Sold A Shodai Nobutaka Wakizashi (伯耆守信高) Hôki no Kami Nobutaka (伯耆守信高) was one of the most important swordsmiths in early Edo period Owari, counted among the celebrated Owari San-saku – the Three Great Smiths of Owari – alongside Masatsune (政常) and Ujifusa (氏房). Originally trained in the Mino-den , Nobutaka relocated to Owari in the early 17th century and took up official service as a goyô kaji (clan swordsmith) for the Owari Tokugawa family – one of the three great branches ( Gosanke ) of the Tokugawa clan. In 1610, coinciding with the completion of Nagoya Castle, he established himself in the city’s Kaji-machi (blacksmith quarter) under Tokugawa Yoshinao, first lord of the Owari domain and ninth son of Tokugawa Ieyasu. This patronage placed Nobutaka at the very centre of arms production for one of Japan’s most powerful ruling families, and blades from the first generation are accordingly rare and highly sought. This wakizashi has travelled a remarkable road. Acquired in the UK in 2023 in rough condition, it was shipped to Japan where it received a full professional polish, a new habaki , and a fresh shirasaya – the latter inscribed with sayagaki by calligraphy artist Nozomi-san. The blade is now certified NBTHK Hozon to the first generation, shodai Nobutaka. The nakago is ô-suriage – a significant shortening undertaken at some point by a former owner to convert what was likely a full-length sword into a more practical wakizashi for paired use. As a consequence, the original signature was lost; the NBTHK attribution to shodai rests on a careful assessment of the blade’s characteristics and the absence of any generational notation on the Hozon certificate. This sword is the companion piece to ujka418 Nidai Nobutaka, and a collector’s discount will be offered to whoever wishes to keep the pair together. The blade repays close study. The jihada is a lively mix of itame, mokume, and nagare-hada laden with ji-nie and plenti

A SHODAI NOBUTAKA WAKIZASHI (伯耆守信高)
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A SHODAI NOBUTAKA WAKIZASHI (伯耆守信高)

脇差

売却済

世界81社の刀剣商を横断追跡 · 価格履歴 · 売却アーカイブ

仕様

長さ

50 cm

反り

0.6 cm

元幅

3.03 cm

作者について

Sanami Nobutaka信高

3 重要刀剣

The first-generation Hoki no Kami Fujiwara Nobutaka was born in Eiroku 6 (1563) at Kami-Aruchi in Mino Province. Traditionally said to descend from the San'ami Kanekuni lineage, he received the court title of Hoki no Kami in Tensho 9 (1581) at the age of nineteen. He subsequently moved to Kiyosu in Owari Province and, in Keicho 15 (1610), accompanied Tokugawa Yoshinao to Nagoya, where he became one of the founding figures of the Owari shinto tradition. In Kan'ei 10 (1633) he retired under the Buddhist name Keiyu, dying three years later at seventy-six. His personal name was Kawamura Saemon, and the majority of his extant works are *shinogi-zukuri* katana and wakizashi, with *hira-zukuri* tanto and polearms comparatively few. Nobutaka's forge work reveals the Mino tradition of his origin: *itame-hada* mixed with *nagare-hada*, tending toward *hada-dachi*, with thick *ji-nie* and *chikei*. His tempering ranges from tightly controlled *notare* with clear *nioiguchi* to bold, spirited compositions in which *gunome-midare*, *tobiyaki*, and *yubashiri* span into the *shinogi-ji*, developing into *hitatsura*-like all-over hardening. The *nie* is deep and sometimes coarsely formed, yielding *nie-kuzure* at the *yakigashira* and *hotsure* along the *habuchi*, punctuated by frequent *kinsuji* and *sunagashi*. His *boshi* tends to be deeply tempered with long *kaeri*, at times assuming an *ichimai*-like boldness. Among the designated pieces, the Tensho 9 katana is celebrated as an *utsushi* after the renowned Inabae, executed with natural assurance immediately upon receiving his court title. His imposing *o-kissaki* katana display the wide-bodied proportions characteristic of the Momoyama period, while even his yari of extraordinary length show no breakdown in execution, demonstrating technical mastery across blade forms.

刀剣商

Unique Japan

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