戦国の関は一つの産業であった。春日神社を氏神と仰ぐ鍛冶たちが、中部日本の軍勢を武装させた。孫六兼元の三本杉と之定の最上作は、量産の町に第一級の技が息づいていたことの証である。
NihontoWatchNihontoWatchAccording to the NBTHK certificate, this blade bears a kin-zōgan (金象嵌, gold inlay) signature of Kanemoto (兼元), dating to the late Muromachi period (late 15th to early 16th century). Kinzogan Mei is a signature made by an appraiser of Japanese swordsmiths during the Samurai era, especially during the Edo period. The appraiser chiseled the swordsmith’s name he attributed to an unsigned blade and then put pure gold on each letter. It was a luxury to ask an appraiser to make a Kinzogan Mei because of the cost of pure gold and skilled labor. Therefore, we assume the previous owner who submitted this blade to an appraiser must have been a wealthy Samurai. The swordsmith name Kanemoto lasted 27th generations from the Muromachi period (the early 16th century) to the Heisei period (modern-day). It was made by one active during the late Muromachi period. It is said the most skilled Kanemoto of all is the second-gen, also known as Magoroku, who was one of the most famous MINO swordsmiths from the Muromachi period. He forged swords in the Mino province, which is renowned for a particular sword style called MINO-DEN. Each generation was good at creating swords with Sanbon Sugi tempering line (Hamon in Japanese). Sanbon Sugi tempering line resembles a small cedar tree/forest growing horizontally. Highly refined craftsmanship have been passed down for many generations. About MINO DEN MINO-DEN exceedingly prospered during Sengoku Jidai (Warring State period) due to the high demand for weapons. And the location of Mino province beat others. Akechi Mitsuhide controlled Mino province, and Nobunaga Oda ruled Owari province. Tokugawa Ieyasu was the lord of Suruga. There was high demand from those powerful feudal lords and their retainers. Furthermore, so many wars occurred between the Kanto region and the Kyoto area. Mino is located in the middle, making feudal lords feel convenient to order swords from MINO-DEN. The blades forged in MINO provinces also had the reputation of their practical design and sharpness. Many feudal lords demanded swords forged in the Mino province. This highly skilled sword-forging technique has been passed down for generations. The smith’s name “Kanemoto” was one of the most famous even after the warring state ended. It is appraised as a Hozon Token (保存刀剣) issued by NBTHK (Nihon Bijutsu Touken Hozon Kyokai:日本美術刀剣保存協会). *Please keep in mind that there are a few Kitae Kizu on this blade. Fuchi-Kashira The theme of this Fuchi-Kashira is Unryu Zu (雲龍図). It is a combination of dragons (龍) and clouds (雲). Initially, dragons were imaginary creatures found in ancient foreign traditions or myths. Furthermore, it is regarded as a symbolic beast of auspicious signs. Its body is likened to nine animals: antlers are deer, the head is a camel, eyes are demons, the neck is a snake, the belly is the Mizuchi (蛟, a mythical animal in Japan that looks like a snake and has a horn and four legs), scales are fish, claws are falcons, palms are tigers and ears are cows. It was thought that the dragon would reign at the top of all animals because of its odd-looking appearance. Regarding the cloud pattern, clouds bring blessed rain and snow, and their movements significantly affect the day’s weather. Due to its supernatural power, a theory says that gods, spirits, and dragons dwell in the clouds. In Japan, there is a belief that worships dragons as water gods. Since rice cultivation has flourished in this country, people always treat water as an essential resource. We imagine some people wished for a plentiful harvest in the Unryu theme. From such a religious aspect, we could infer that dragon designs were familiar to people. Tsuka and Menuki The motif of this Menuki (目貫) is the same as that of the fuchi-kashira (縁頭): Dragon (龍, Ryu) design. This consistency in theme creates a strong sense of visual unity across the sword mountings. Tsuba and Habaki This tsuba is mokkō-shaped (木瓜型, mokko-gata), a form resembling a cross-section of a gourd or the Japanese quince flower, which was a popular shape for sword guards from the Muromachi through the Edo period(15th–19th centuries). *There is a small chip on part of the habaki, so please check the details in the photos. Authentication Paper They authenticated the blade on December 4th in the 6th year of Reiwa (2024). They appraised it as Hozon Touken, the blade worth preserving for Japanese society.
販売店の記載のまま
美濃伝 · 美濃
現在22点販売中
兼元は、美濃国関を本拠とした末美濃の刀工で、室町時代後期に和泉守兼定と並んで美濃鍛冶を代表する家系である。同名が相継いで栄えたが、なかでも最も技量にすぐれるのは二代で、世上この兼元を指して「孫六兼元」と呼称し賞翫してきた。「孫六」は兼元家代々の通称であり、二代がとりわけ著名であることから、この称がそのまま二代の代名詞として用いられている。居住地を明示した作には「濃州赤坂住」と切るものがあり、赤坂を一つの拠点としていたことが知られる。説示には明応・享禄・大永などの年紀を有する作が挙げられ、紀年銘の比較的少ない同家にあって、これらは作期や系統を研究するうえで好資料とされている。 作風の中核をなすのは、三本杉と称される尖り互の目の連れた刃文である。各代を通じてこの刃文を得意とするが、二代と後代とでは趣を異にする。代が下ると尖り刃の形が鋭角的で規則正しく揃うのに対し、二代は互の目の頭が処々丸みをおびて変化を見せ、三本杉のほかに二本杉・四本杉・五本杉といった群落を交えるなど画一的でないところに特色がある。説示はこれを行草の体の三本杉と評し、刃取りに起伏を見せて変化に富む点を二代の見どころとする。地鉄は板目に杢・流れ柾を交えて肌立ちごころとなり、地沸が細かにつき、地景が入り、白け映りが立つのが常で、帽子は乱れ込んで先丸く地蔵状に返るものが多い。一方、初代はあまり三本杉が目立たず、互の目に互の目丁子を交え、時に湯走り・飛焼を伴うものが多く、年紀は明応六年を最も古いものとし、居住地はすべて濃州赤坂住と切られる。二代と初代、さらに後代との別は、こうした刃文の構成と地鉄の風合いから見分けられる。 伝来をみると、二代兼元は実戦刀としての評価が高く、元亀元年の姉川の戦で青木一重が真柄真隆を討ったと伝える青木兼元、また截断銘を裏に施した作などが知られ、切れ味を尊ぶ風が早くから付随していた。金象嵌で笹露と号した作のように、所持者の名とともに伝えられた優品もある。作刀は薙刀・刀・脇指・短刀に及び、長寸で先の張った雄勁な造込みのものから、来写し・京物写しと目される稀な直刃の上品な短刀まで幅があり、二代の技量の振幅を伝えている。説示はこれらを孫六兼元の典型かつ出色の出来口として位置づけ、行体の三本杉が匂口明るくよく沸え、地刃ともに冴える点を賞するとともに、末関を代表する刀工としての名声を確かなものとしている。 詳しく見る →
室町時代の美濃
戦国の関は一つの産業であった。春日神社を氏神と仰ぐ鍛冶たちが、中部日本の軍勢を武装させた。孫六兼元の三本杉と之定の最上作は、量産の町に第一級の技が息づいていたことの証である。
銘が正しい、または無銘でも年代・国・系統を確実に指摘できる、保存に値する真正の作と鑑定されたものです。
日本美術刀剣保存協会（NBTHK）は、1948年に設立され、文化庁の監督を受ける公益財団法人で、東京・刀剣博物館に本部を置きます。専門の審査員が出品作を直接審査し、美術的・歴史的価値に応じた鑑定書を発行します。NBTHKの鑑定書は、日本刀および刀装具の真正性を示す最も広く認知された基準です。
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