This is a mumei katana attributed to Iwato Ichimonji, also known as Shochu Ichimonji, from the late Kamakura period. It features a vibrant Ichimonji-style hamon with active choji-midare and elegant utsuri. The blade comes with a shirasaya and a koshirae including a circular iron tsuba and shakudo nanako fuchikashira.
NihontoWatchmumei · Ichimonji · Kamakura · nagasa 64.8cm · sori 2cm
Bizen-den · Bizen
1 piece on the market now
The Iwato Ichimonji school represents a small but distinctive branch of the broader Ichimonji lineage that flourished in Iwato-shō, Bizen Province, from the late Kamakura period into the Nanbokuchō era. According to sword reference works, the school's founder is traditionally identified as Yoshimitsu or Yoshiuji, though extant signed works are primarily represented by Yoshiie, whose blades bear elaborate inscriptions such as "Ichi Bishū Iwato-shō jitō Sahyōe-no-jō Minamoto Yoshiie"[[c:1]] with dates from the Gentoku era. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Yoshimori吉守 | 1368-1375 | 0 |
| Yoshiuji吉氏 | 1362-1368 | 0 |
| Yoshimori吉守 | 1394-1428 | 0 |
| Yoshichika吉近 | 1375-1379 | 0 |
| Sukeie助家 | 1321-1324 | 0 |
A Hozon-certified blade judged to show notably superior workmanship and a better state of preservation. The bar is higher: re-tempered blades and most unsigned Muromachi/Edo works are excluded.
The NBTHK (Nihon Bijutsu Tōken Hozon Kyōkai, the Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords) is a public-interest incorporated foundation founded in 1948 and supervised by Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs (Bunkachō); it is based at the Japanese Sword Museum in Tokyo. Its expert panels physically examine each submitted work (shinsa) and issue a certificate (kanteishō) ranking it by artistic and historical merit. NBTHK papers are the most widely recognized standard of authentication for Japanese swords and fittings.
NBTHK official siteIf you wish to return an item, please notify us within 3 days of receipt. After this period we cannot accept cancellations. Please ship the return to us within 5 business days. Cancellation is conditional on the item being kept in the same condition as at the time of sale, so please handle it with care.
This is a mumei katana attributed to Iwato Ichimonji, also known as Shochu Ichimonji, from the late Kamakura period. It features a vibrant Ichimonji-style hamon with active choji-midare and elegant utsuri. The blade comes with a shirasaya and a koshirae including a circular iron tsuba and shakudo nanako fuchikashira.
NihontoWatchmumei · Ichimonji · Kamakura · nagasa 64.8cm · sori 2cm
Bizen-den · Bizen
1 piece on the market now
The Iwato Ichimonji school represents a small but distinctive branch of the broader Ichimonji lineage that flourished in Iwato-shō, Bizen Province, from the late Kamakura period into the Nanbokuchō era. According to sword reference works, the school's founder is traditionally identified as Yoshimitsu or Yoshiuji, though extant signed works are primarily represented by Yoshiie, whose blades bear elaborate inscriptions such as "Ichi Bishū Iwato-shō jitō Sahyōe-no-jō Minamoto Yoshiie"[[c:1]] with dates from the Gentoku era. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Yoshimori吉守 | 1368-1375 | 0 |
| Yoshiuji吉氏 | 1362-1368 | 0 |
| Yoshimori吉守 | 1394-1428 | 0 |
| Yoshichika吉近 | 1375-1379 | 0 |
| Sukeie助家 | 1321-1324 | 0 |
A Hozon-certified blade judged to show notably superior workmanship and a better state of preservation. The bar is higher: re-tempered blades and most unsigned Muromachi/Edo works are excluded.
The NBTHK (Nihon Bijutsu Tōken Hozon Kyōkai, the Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords) is a public-interest incorporated foundation founded in 1948 and supervised by Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs (Bunkachō); it is based at the Japanese Sword Museum in Tokyo. Its expert panels physically examine each submitted work (shinsa) and issue a certificate (kanteishō) ranking it by artistic and historical merit. NBTHK papers are the most widely recognized standard of authentication for Japanese swords and fittings.
NBTHK official siteIf you wish to return an item, please notify us within 3 days of receipt. After this period we cannot accept cancellations. Please ship the return to us within 5 business days. Cancellation is conditional on the item being kept in the same condition as at the time of sale, so please handle it with care.
