This wakizashi is signed Minamoto Nobukuni Yoshimasa, a smith from Chikuzen province active in the early Edo period, around the Kanbun era. He was the second generation Yoshimasa, succeeding his brother after he established a separate branch. The blade features a beautiful gunome midare hamon with small nie.
NihontoWatchmei · Kanei (1624-1644)
Yamashiro-den · Chikuzen · around 1661-1673
Fujishiro Jo saku · Tōken Taikan top 49%
3 pieces on the market now
Where Yoshimasa 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.
Yamashiro-den · Yamashiro
32 pieces on the market now
Few Kyoto houses bridged two traditions as deliberately as Nobukuni (信国), the Yamashiro-den lineage whose work runs from the Nanbokucho period through Muromachi and on, in a western branch, into the shinto age. The first generation, the smith the NBTHK counts as shodai, is the master of the Enbun, Koan and Joji years; the older registers placed a founding Nobukuni back in the Kenmu era, but the published sources set that legend aside, since no work survives so early and the style of the oldest dated blades connects directly with that of Sadamune. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Nobukuni信國 | 1356-1361 | 69 |
| Nobukuni信國 | 1383-1392 | 33 |
| Nobukuni信國 | 1394-1428 | 44 |
| Yoshikane吉包 | 1661-1686 | 7 |
| Masanobu正信 | 1356-1361 | 4 |
We could not find an authenticity certificate on the seller’s listing. Japanese swords and fittings are normally papered by the NBTHK (or the NTHK). Without one, the attribution is the seller’s own assessment and has not been independently verified — treat it with caution and ask the dealer about certification before buying.
If, 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 wakizashi is signed Minamoto Nobukuni Yoshimasa, a smith from Chikuzen province active in the early Edo period, around the Kanbun era. He was the second generation Yoshimasa, succeeding his brother after he established a separate branch. The blade features a beautiful gunome midare hamon with small nie.
NihontoWatchmei · Kanei (1624-1644)
Yamashiro-den · Chikuzen · around 1661-1673
Fujishiro Jo saku · Tōken Taikan top 49%
3 pieces on the market now
Where Yoshimasa 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.
Yamashiro-den · Yamashiro
32 pieces on the market now
Few Kyoto houses bridged two traditions as deliberately as Nobukuni (信国), the Yamashiro-den lineage whose work runs from the Nanbokucho period through Muromachi and on, in a western branch, into the shinto age. The first generation, the smith the NBTHK counts as shodai, is the master of the Enbun, Koan and Joji years; the older registers placed a founding Nobukuni back in the Kenmu era, but the published sources set that legend aside, since no work survives so early and the style of the oldest dated blades connects directly with that of Sadamune. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Nobukuni信國 | 1356-1361 | 69 |
| Nobukuni信國 | 1383-1392 | 33 |
| Nobukuni信國 | 1394-1428 | 44 |
| Yoshikane吉包 | 1661-1686 | 7 |
| Masanobu正信 | 1356-1361 | 4 |
We could not find an authenticity certificate on the seller’s listing. Japanese swords and fittings are normally papered by the NBTHK (or the NTHK). Without one, the attribution is the seller’s own assessment and has not been independently verified — treat it with caution and ask the dealer about certification before buying.
If, 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.
