This listing features a tanto with an inro-kizami black lacquered saya koshirae, originating from the Akita domain's Satake family. The koshirae's metal fittings are entirely the work of Inoue Masaji of the Yoshioka Inaba-no-suke school, with a silver-based split kogai featuring a family crest. The tanto itself is an ubu-nakago mumei blade attributed to Nobukuni from the Oei period, and it comes with an old saya of a unique thick shape characteristic of Akita Satake, reminiscent of Soshu masters like Hiromitsu.
mumei · Oei (1394-1428)


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 listing features a tanto with an inro-kizami black lacquered saya koshirae, originating from the Akita domain's Satake family. The koshirae's metal fittings are entirely the work of Inoue Masaji of the Yoshioka Inaba-no-suke school, with a silver-based split kogai featuring a family crest. The tanto itself is an ubu-nakago mumei blade attributed to Nobukuni from the Oei period, and it comes with an old saya of a unique thick shape characteristic of Akita Satake, reminiscent of Soshu masters like Hiromitsu.
mumei · Oei (1394-1428)


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.