Here it is, here it is! Gisuke—the name has such a rhythmic ring to it. Shimada no Gisuke is magnificent and famous as a maker of celebrated swords. As works by the first generation from the Muromachi period around the Taiei era (1521, 504 years ago) do not exist today, this tanto is a work by the famous second-generation Gisuke. This was a time when Hojo Soun and Takeda Shingen's father, Takeda Nobutora, were actively flourishing. Since ancient times, it has been said that Gisuke counts Soshu Masamune among his ancestors. During the generation of the second Hojo Ujitsuna, he moved from Shimada in Suruga (Shizuoka Prefecture) to the Odawara castle town (Kanagawa Prefecture), leading his clan and school including Yasukuni, Yasuharu, and Tsunaie. This tanto displays a tanto-sugata with no sori. The jigane is a well-forged ko-itame hada, and above the hamon, a faint white rod-shaped bo-utsuri appears along the edge, lending it a refined atmosphere. The horimono consists of a koshi-hi on the omote and gomabashi on the ura, both skillfully carved. The hamon is a straight suguha-cho tempered with nioi and ko-nie, appearing very elegant. Because Gisuke’s tanto have been skillfully made since ancient times, many are highly favored by kurouto (connoisseurs); this tanto is a masterpiece made in the style of the Kamakura period Rai Kunitoshi of Kyo-Yamashiro. On this occasion, we received this piece from an old collector with the request to "pass it on to the next generation at a low price." As there is some light rust on the mune, we are offering it at a special bargain price. Please enjoy this precious tanto with a Gisuke mei.
NihontoWatchBETAOei (1394-1428) · nagasa 28.3cm
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 |
| Sukemune助宗 | 1661-1673 | 1 |
This work carries older NBTHK “Kichō”-era papers, which the NBTHK no longer issues and now regards as unreliable. To confirm the attribution, submission to an official Japanese examination body (such as the NBTHK or NTHK) for modern certification could be considered.
For returns due to customer circumstances, the cost is the customer's responsibility. For returns due to our mis-shipment or a defective item, we bear the cost.
Here it is, here it is! Gisuke—the name has such a rhythmic ring to it. Shimada no Gisuke is magnificent and famous as a maker of celebrated swords. As works by the first generation from the Muromachi period around the Taiei era (1521, 504 years ago) do not exist today, this tanto is a work by the famous second-generation Gisuke. This was a time when Hojo Soun and Takeda Shingen's father, Takeda Nobutora, were actively flourishing. Since ancient times, it has been said that Gisuke counts Soshu Masamune among his ancestors. During the generation of the second Hojo Ujitsuna, he moved from Shimada in Suruga (Shizuoka Prefecture) to the Odawara castle town (Kanagawa Prefecture), leading his clan and school including Yasukuni, Yasuharu, and Tsunaie. This tanto displays a tanto-sugata with no sori. The jigane is a well-forged ko-itame hada, and above the hamon, a faint white rod-shaped bo-utsuri appears along the edge, lending it a refined atmosphere. The horimono consists of a koshi-hi on the omote and gomabashi on the ura, both skillfully carved. The hamon is a straight suguha-cho tempered with nioi and ko-nie, appearing very elegant. Because Gisuke’s tanto have been skillfully made since ancient times, many are highly favored by kurouto (connoisseurs); this tanto is a masterpiece made in the style of the Kamakura period Rai Kunitoshi of Kyo-Yamashiro. On this occasion, we received this piece from an old collector with the request to "pass it on to the next generation at a low price." As there is some light rust on the mune, we are offering it at a special bargain price. Please enjoy this precious tanto with a Gisuke mei.
NihontoWatchBETAOei (1394-1428) · nagasa 28.3cm
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 |
| Sukemune助宗 | 1661-1673 | 1 |
This work carries older NBTHK “Kichō”-era papers, which the NBTHK no longer issues and now regards as unreliable. To confirm the attribution, submission to an official Japanese examination body (such as the NBTHK or NTHK) for modern certification could be considered.
For returns due to customer circumstances, the cost is the customer's responsibility. For returns due to our mis-shipment or a defective item, we bear the cost.
