This tanto by Yoshisuke, a swordsmith from Suruga province during the Tenbun era (1532-1554), features a wide body, thin kasane, and slight sori, characteristic of the Sengoku period. The blade is engraved with 'So no Kurikara' on the omote and 'Hachi Man Dai Bo Satsu' on the ura, suggesting the owner was a devout warrior of the Minamoto clan. The jigane shows a vibrant itame with mokume and thick chikei, while the hamon is a strongly nie-laden gunome with shallow notare and togari-gokoro, displaying active sunagashi and a bright boshi.
NihontoWatchBETA
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 |
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 siteIf, due to our fault, the item differs significantly from its proper condition, the item may be returned. Cooling-off is within one week of the item's arrival.
This tanto by Yoshisuke, a swordsmith from Suruga province during the Tenbun era (1532-1554), features a wide body, thin kasane, and slight sori, characteristic of the Sengoku period. The blade is engraved with 'So no Kurikara' on the omote and 'Hachi Man Dai Bo Satsu' on the ura, suggesting the owner was a devout warrior of the Minamoto clan. The jigane shows a vibrant itame with mokume and thick chikei, while the hamon is a strongly nie-laden gunome with shallow notare and togari-gokoro, displaying active sunagashi and a bright boshi.
NihontoWatchBETASoshu-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 |
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 siteIf, due to our fault, the item differs significantly from its proper condition, the item may be returned. Cooling-off is within one week of the item's arrival.
