Blade weight only: 914g It has finally appeared. It has long been said that dated examples of Kongohyee Moritaka blades were extremely rare or non-existent, despite rumors of their existence. Now, a famous and precious dated blade by Kongohyee Moritaka, which has been cherished for generations in an old family, has come to light. This blade was produced in Tensho 2 (1572) (483 years ago). This was one year after Oda Nobunaga expelled Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki from Kyoto, ending the Ashikaga Bakufu, and one year before the Battle of Nagashino where the allied forces of Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu first defeated Takeda Katsuyori with firearms. This is a precious dated work by the 9th generation Kongohyee Moritaka of Chikuzen (Fukuoka Prefecture), counting 226 years from the first generation Kongohyee Minamoto no Moritaka of the Nanbokucho period, Shohei era (1346) (680 years ago). The Kongohyee school is said to have been Yamabushi kaji (mountain ascetic smiths) of Mount Homan. Every member of the school used the character "Mori" at the beginning of their name. This sword was a special order (chumon-uchi). Originally a specially tailored long blade of about 2 shaku 6 sun 5 bun, it has been shortened slightly. It displays a healthy sugata with koshi-zori, a high shinogi, thick moto-kasane, and a distinct difference between the moto-mihaba and saki-mihaba. The jigane is itame-hada with a flowing tendency (nagare-kokoro). The hamon is nio-deki with ko-nie, featuring a sugu-cho temper line with ashi and gunome-ba mixed in. Nie clusters along the habuchi, and kuichigai-ba also appears, showing a blade that looks exceptionally sharp. The nakago-jiri is the characteristic sotoba-gata (stupa shape) unique to the Kongohyee school, as can be seen. On this occasion, the owners of an old family mentioned that they have grown old and asked us to pass it on at a low price to someone who will cherish it. Due to their kindness, we are offering it at a special bargain price. Dated blades by the representative smith of the Kongohyee school, Moritaka, are almost non-existent, making this sword wonderfully precious. Please enjoy this masterpiece of koto.
Certificate reading — 銘 金剛兵衛盛高 天正二年八月日
NihontoWatchMomoyama · nagasa 77.3cm · sori 1.5cm
Wakimono · Chikuzen · around 1532-1555
Fujishiro Chu-jo saku · Tōken Taikan top 76%
1 piece on the market now
Wakimono · Chikuzen
Phase: Sue-Kongobyoe末金剛兵衛· 1393–1600
8 pieces on the market now
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Sadamori貞盛 | 1345-1350 | 24 |
| Morimitsu盛光 | 1558-1570 | 0 |
| Moriyasu盛安 | 1532-1555 | 0 |
| Moriyoshi盛吉 | 1532-1555 | 0 |
| Morihisa盛久 | 1521-1528 | 0 |
Three unifiers ended the century of war, and the sword became an instrument of the new order: the 1588 sword hunt made it the warrior’s badge, famous blades passed between houses like treaties, and appraisal ever after divides the craft here, kotō from shintō.
Certifies a genuine blade worth preserving: a signature confirmed correct, or, if unsigned, an era, province, and school that the NBTHK can reliably identify.
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 siteFor 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.
Blade weight only: 914g It has finally appeared. It has long been said that dated examples of Kongohyee Moritaka blades were extremely rare or non-existent, despite rumors of their existence. Now, a famous and precious dated blade by Kongohyee Moritaka, which has been cherished for generations in an old family, has come to light. This blade was produced in Tensho 2 (1572) (483 years ago). This was one year after Oda Nobunaga expelled Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki from Kyoto, ending the Ashikaga Bakufu, and one year before the Battle of Nagashino where the allied forces of Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu first defeated Takeda Katsuyori with firearms. This is a precious dated work by the 9th generation Kongohyee Moritaka of Chikuzen (Fukuoka Prefecture), counting 226 years from the first generation Kongohyee Minamoto no Moritaka of the Nanbokucho period, Shohei era (1346) (680 years ago). The Kongohyee school is said to have been Yamabushi kaji (mountain ascetic smiths) of Mount Homan. Every member of the school used the character "Mori" at the beginning of their name. This sword was a special order (chumon-uchi). Originally a specially tailored long blade of about 2 shaku 6 sun 5 bun, it has been shortened slightly. It displays a healthy sugata with koshi-zori, a high shinogi, thick moto-kasane, and a distinct difference between the moto-mihaba and saki-mihaba. The jigane is itame-hada with a flowing tendency (nagare-kokoro). The hamon is nio-deki with ko-nie, featuring a sugu-cho temper line with ashi and gunome-ba mixed in. Nie clusters along the habuchi, and kuichigai-ba also appears, showing a blade that looks exceptionally sharp. The nakago-jiri is the characteristic sotoba-gata (stupa shape) unique to the Kongohyee school, as can be seen. On this occasion, the owners of an old family mentioned that they have grown old and asked us to pass it on at a low price to someone who will cherish it. Due to their kindness, we are offering it at a special bargain price. Dated blades by the representative smith of the Kongohyee school, Moritaka, are almost non-existent, making this sword wonderfully precious. Please enjoy this masterpiece of koto.
Certificate reading — 銘 金剛兵衛盛高 天正二年八月日
NihontoWatchMomoyama · nagasa 77.3cm · sori 1.5cm
Wakimono · Chikuzen · around 1532-1555
Fujishiro Chu-jo saku · Tōken Taikan top 76%
1 piece on the market now
Wakimono · Chikuzen
Phase: Sue-Kongobyoe末金剛兵衛· 1393–1600
8 pieces on the market now
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Sadamori貞盛 | 1345-1350 | 24 |
| Morimitsu盛光 | 1558-1570 | 0 |
| Moriyasu盛安 | 1532-1555 | 0 |
| Moriyoshi盛吉 | 1532-1555 | 0 |
| Morihisa盛久 | 1521-1528 | 0 |
Three unifiers ended the century of war, and the sword became an instrument of the new order: the 1588 sword hunt made it the warrior’s badge, famous blades passed between houses like treaties, and appraisal ever after divides the craft here, kotō from shintō.
Certifies a genuine blade worth preserving: a signature confirmed correct, or, if unsigned, an era, province, and school that the NBTHK can reliably identify.
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 siteFor 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.
