NihontoWatch薩摩国波平派は、平安時代後期に正国という刀工が大和国から薩摩国谷山郡波平の地に来住し、その祖となったと伝えられています。 古波平の在銘の現存作品は非常に少なく、しかも剣であり、まさに世に一振りの資料的にも大変貴重な至宝の逸品です。 地沸え良くつき、刃文は直刃を基調に細かな金線が走り、細かな金筋、砂流しかかるなど渾身の出来栄え示す奇跡の名剣です。 拵えも刀身に劣らぬ極上の揃い金具の極上拵えです。
NihontoWatchOffered by Kusanagi
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Wakimono · Satsuma
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The Naminohira school traces its origins to the late Heian period, when a swordsmith named Masakuni migrated from Yamato Province and established himself at Naminohira in Taniyama District, Satsuma Province. His son Yukiyasu succeeded him, and the lineage continued unbroken into the late Edo shinshintō era. The collective term Ko-Naminohira designates smiths and works dating no later than the Nanbokuchō period, distinguishing the school's formative generations from later practitioners. This geographic isolation in southern Kyushu allowed the development of a distinctive regional aesthetic that balanced mainland influences with local forging traditions. The school's technical identity reveals a pronounced Yamato character in both construction and tempering, yet the forging exhibits a characteristic density and slight tenacity (nebari) that distinguishes Naminohira work from its Yamato antecedents. The jigane typically shows strongly flowing itame-hada, often with a whitish cast and well-adhering ji-nie, while thick chikei appear throughout the ground. In the hamon, a fine hoso-suguha or narrow suguha-based temper predominates, with the nioiguchi displaying a distinctive urumi tendency—a moist, soft quality that creates a subdued, somewhat shizumi-inclined appearance.
A diagnostic feature appears at the hamachi, where slight yaki-otoshi marks the transition from untempered to tempered steel. The school's Nanbokuchō-period works often present extended ō-kissaki and deep koshizori, embodying the martial aesthetic of that turbulent age. The Naminohira tradition experienced a renaissance during the Edo period, producing masters such as Ichi Heian Yasushiro, who in Kyōhō 6 (1721) was summoned to forge for Shōgun Tokugawa Yoshimune. His exceptional skill earned him the privilege of engraving the ichiyō aoi crest on his nakago and the court appointment of Shume no Suke. His work and that of his contemporary Masakiyo represent the apex of Satsuma shintō, demonstrating how provincial schools could achieve recognition at the highest levels of Tokugawa society. The scarcity of early signed works, particularly from the Kamakura and Nanbokuchō periods, renders extant examples invaluable for understanding the school's development and its role in transmitting Yamato forging methods to Japan's southern frontier. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Yukiyasu行安 | 1308-1311 | 9 |
| Yasutsugu安次 | 1375-1381 | 0 |
| Yasuyoshi安吉 | 1469-1487 | 0 |
| Fuji藤 | 1394-1428 | 0 |
| Yasutsugu安次 | 1224-1225 | 0 |
The Heian period (794 to 1185)
The curved, ridged tachi took its classic form in the Heian provinces while the court refined its culture in the capital. Its patrons were the military nobility whose feuds ended in the Genpei War, and whose blades became heirlooms almost at once.
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 sitePlease notify us of your intention to return, by email or fax, no later than the day after the item's arrival. Return shipping, insurance, and refund transfer fees are the customer's responsibility.