This is a mumei katana attributed to the Fukuoka Ichimonji school from the late Kamakura period. It features a wide blade with thick kasane, deep curvature, and a slightly extended kissaki. The jigane shows fine itame mixed with mokume hada and utsuri, while the hamon is a dynamic gunome-midare with kinsuji activity. The sword comes with a shirasaya and a Tensho-style koshirae, including a solid gold habaki and seppa.
Certificate reading — 無銘（一文字）
NihontoWatchBETAmumei · Fukuoka Ichimonji · Kamakura · nagasa 71.1cm · sori 2.2cm
Bizen-den · Bizen
23 pieces on the market now
The Ichimonji school (Ichimonji-ha) represents one of the two paramount traditions of Bizen Province swordmaking during the Kamakura period, flourishing alongside the Osafune lineage from the early thirteenth century through the Nanbokuchō era. The school's name derives from the practice of carving the character ichi (一, "one") onto the nakago, though signatures varied considerably—some blades bear only this single ideograph, others append an individual maker's name beneath it, and still others carry personal names alone. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Tsunetsugu恒次 | 1321-1324 | 11 |
| Chikatsugu親次 | 1306-1308 | 2 |
| Sukemasa資正 | 1469-1487 | 1 |
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 siteIf you wish to return an item, please notify us within 3 days of receipt. After this period we cannot accept cancellations. Please ship the return to us within 5 business days. Cancellation is conditional on the item being kept in the same condition as at the time of sale, so please handle it with care.
This is a mumei katana attributed to the Fukuoka Ichimonji school from the late Kamakura period. It features a wide blade with thick kasane, deep curvature, and a slightly extended kissaki. The jigane shows fine itame mixed with mokume hada and utsuri, while the hamon is a dynamic gunome-midare with kinsuji activity. The sword comes with a shirasaya and a Tensho-style koshirae, including a solid gold habaki and seppa.
Certificate reading — 無銘（一文字）
NihontoWatchBETAmumei · Fukuoka Ichimonji · Kamakura · nagasa 71.1cm · sori 2.2cm
Bizen-den · Bizen
23 pieces on the market now
The Ichimonji school (Ichimonji-ha) represents one of the two paramount traditions of Bizen Province swordmaking during the Kamakura period, flourishing alongside the Osafune lineage from the early thirteenth century through the Nanbokuchō era. The school's name derives from the practice of carving the character ichi (一, "one") onto the nakago, though signatures varied considerably—some blades bear only this single ideograph, others append an individual maker's name beneath it, and still others carry personal names alone. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Tsunetsugu恒次 | 1321-1324 | 11 |
| Chikatsugu親次 | 1306-1308 | 2 |
| Sukemasa資正 | 1469-1487 | 1 |
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 siteIf you wish to return an item, please notify us within 3 days of receipt. After this period we cannot accept cancellations. Please ship the return to us within 5 business days. Cancellation is conditional on the item being kept in the same condition as at the time of sale, so please handle it with care.
