This antique Japanese Katana is signed by Bungo no Kami Fujiwara Sukemune, believed to be the third generation of the Shimada school active during the Kanei era (1624–1644) in Suruga Province. The blade features a rare chrysanthemum emblem, signifying imperial favor, and comes with an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Certificate. It includes a full koshirae with a Tsuba depicting the Twelve Zodiac Signs and a Kougai with the Shichiyō-mon motif, along with a luxurious red lacquer Hirumaki-nuri Saya.
NihontoWatchmei · Shimada · Kanbun (1661-1673) · nagasa 69.8cm · sori 1.5cm
Soshu-den · Suruga
14 pieces on the market now
The Shimada school (島田) took its name from its base in Suruga Province, where it worked from the mid-Muromachi period along the Tōkaidō between the Mino hearths and the late Sōshū smiths of neighboring Sagami. The published sources place its founding generation in the Kōshō (or Kyōshō) era and trace its principal names without interruption down into the shintō period, with the same names continuing as late as the shinshintō era. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Yoshisuke義助 | 1492-1504 | 7 |
| Sukemune助宗 | 1444-1449 | 5 |
| Yoshisuke義助 | 1455-1526 | 4 |
| Yoshisuke義助 | 1573-1592 | 3 |
| Hirosuke廣助 | 1504-1521 | 9 |
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 siteReturns/exchanges limited to defects caused by shipping (except willful misconduct or gross negligence by the company); customers must contact within 72 hours of receiving the product.
This antique Japanese Katana is signed by Bungo no Kami Fujiwara Sukemune, believed to be the third generation of the Shimada school active during the Kanei era (1624–1644) in Suruga Province. The blade features a rare chrysanthemum emblem, signifying imperial favor, and comes with an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Certificate. It includes a full koshirae with a Tsuba depicting the Twelve Zodiac Signs and a Kougai with the Shichiyō-mon motif, along with a luxurious red lacquer Hirumaki-nuri Saya.
NihontoWatchmei · Shimada · Kanbun (1661-1673) · nagasa 69.8cm · sori 1.5cm
Soshu-den · Suruga
14 pieces on the market now
The Shimada school (島田) took its name from its base in Suruga Province, where it worked from the mid-Muromachi period along the Tōkaidō between the Mino hearths and the late Sōshū smiths of neighboring Sagami. The published sources place its founding generation in the Kōshō (or Kyōshō) era and trace its principal names without interruption down into the shintō period, with the same names continuing as late as the shinshintō era. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Yoshisuke義助 | 1492-1504 | 7 |
| Sukemune助宗 | 1444-1449 | 5 |
| Yoshisuke義助 | 1455-1526 | 4 |
| Yoshisuke義助 | 1573-1592 | 3 |
| Hirosuke廣助 | 1504-1521 | 9 |
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 siteReturns/exchanges limited to defects caused by shipping (except willful misconduct or gross negligence by the company); customers must contact within 72 hours of receiving the product.
