This is a Juyo Token designated wakizashi by Kunitsugu, the younger brother of Horikawa Kunihiro, from the early Edo period in Yamashiro province. It features a wide, extended form characteristic of Keicho Shinto, with a notare hamon in ko-nie deki and a jizo-style boshi. The jigane exhibits a zanguri-hada with standing itame and mokume, showing clear Horikawa characteristics, including mizukage at the machi.
Juyo-Token, 56th Session — Designated April 26, 1979 Unspecified blade, mei not stated: — Description Keijo: hira-zukuri, mitsu-mune Kitae: itame mixed with mokume Hamon: softly, large notare, with gunome mixed in places Boshi: midarekomi; rounded tip with deep turn-back Nakago: ubu; one mekugi-ana Designation Following examination, this item is designated Juyo Token. Issued by The Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords (NBTHK) Chairman: Hosokawa Moritatsu (細川護立)
NihontoWatchmei · Horikawa · Edo · nagasa 30.2cm · sori 0.2cm
AI translation — may contain errors
Unspecified blade, not stated: —
Description Keijo: , : mixed with : softly, large , with mixed in places : ; rounded tip with deep turn-back : ; one
Designation Following examination, this item is designated .
Issued by The Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords () Chairman: Hosokawa Moritatsu (細川護立)
Shinto · Echizen · around 1615-1624
Fujishiro Jo saku · Tōken Taikan top 49%
3 pieces on the market now
Where Kunitsugu stands among comparable artisans: across all of nihontō, and within tradition, era, and period. The tiers (Foremost · Leading · Major · Notable) weigh official designations from the NBTHK and Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs, together with historical honors of lasting repute such as the Sansaku and Meibutsu-chō.
Select a lens to see how it's measured.
Shinto · Yamashiro
64 pieces on the market now
At Ichijo Horikawa in Kyoto, from Keicho 4 (1599), Horikawa Kunihiro gathered the pupils whose work the published sources name with his own as the opening of the shinto age. Kunihiro himself reached forging late and by a roundabout road. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Kunihiro國廣 | 1573-1613 | 148 |
| Kunimichi國路 | 1615-1624 | 74 |
| Kunisada國貞 | 1624-1646 | 88 |
| Masahiro正弘 | 1596-1615 | 14 |
| Kunitomo國儔 | 1596-1615 | 27 |
A blade of top-grade workmanship and condition, formally judged to rank with a nationally recognized Important Art Object (Jūyō Bijutsuhin). Awarded only at the NBTHK’s competitive annual examination.
Of Japan’s roughly 2.5 million registered swords, only 12,307 (about 1 in 203) have ever attained Jūyō.
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 siteCustomer-initiated returns accepted within two days of arrival; return shipping paid by customer and fees non-refundable. Returns/refunds unavailable for overseas deliveries.
This is a Juyo Token designated wakizashi by Kunitsugu, the younger brother of Horikawa Kunihiro, from the early Edo period in Yamashiro province. It features a wide, extended form characteristic of Keicho Shinto, with a notare hamon in ko-nie deki and a jizo-style boshi. The jigane exhibits a zanguri-hada with standing itame and mokume, showing clear Horikawa characteristics, including mizukage at the machi.
Juyo-Token, 56th Session — Designated April 26, 1979 Unspecified blade, mei not stated: — Description Keijo: hira-zukuri, mitsu-mune Kitae: itame mixed with mokume Hamon: softly, large notare, with gunome mixed in places Boshi: midarekomi; rounded tip with deep turn-back Nakago: ubu; one mekugi-ana Designation Following examination, this item is designated Juyo Token. Issued by The Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords (NBTHK) Chairman: Hosokawa Moritatsu (細川護立)
NihontoWatchmei · Horikawa · Edo · nagasa 30.2cm · sori 0.2cm
AI translation — may contain errors
Unspecified blade, not stated: —
Description Keijo: , : mixed with : softly, large , with mixed in places : ; rounded tip with deep turn-back : ; one
Designation Following examination, this item is designated .
Issued by The Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords () Chairman: Hosokawa Moritatsu (細川護立)
Shinto · Echizen · around 1615-1624
Fujishiro Jo saku · Tōken Taikan top 49%
3 pieces on the market now
Where Kunitsugu stands among comparable artisans: across all of nihontō, and within tradition, era, and period. The tiers (Foremost · Leading · Major · Notable) weigh official designations from the NBTHK and Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs, together with historical honors of lasting repute such as the Sansaku and Meibutsu-chō.
Select a lens to see how it's measured.
Shinto · Yamashiro
64 pieces on the market now
At Ichijo Horikawa in Kyoto, from Keicho 4 (1599), Horikawa Kunihiro gathered the pupils whose work the published sources name with his own as the opening of the shinto age. Kunihiro himself reached forging late and by a roundabout road. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Kunihiro國廣 | 1573-1613 | 148 |
| Kunimichi國路 | 1615-1624 | 74 |
| Kunisada國貞 | 1624-1646 | 88 |
| Masahiro正弘 | 1596-1615 | 14 |
| Kunitomo國儔 | 1596-1615 | 27 |
A blade of top-grade workmanship and condition, formally judged to rank with a nationally recognized Important Art Object (Jūyō Bijutsuhin). Awarded only at the NBTHK’s competitive annual examination.
Of Japan’s roughly 2.5 million registered swords, only 12,307 (about 1 in 203) have ever attained Jūyō.
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 siteCustomer-initiated returns accepted within two days of arrival; return shipping paid by customer and fees non-refundable. Returns/refunds unavailable for overseas deliveries.
