Two courts, sixty years of war, and the most dramatic silhouettes in the sword’s history: broad blades, extended points, true ōdachi later cut down into the majestic katana collectors prize. The Sōshū manner was the style of the age.
NihontoWatchNihontoWatchNagasa 75.0cm Sori 1.7cm Mekugi-ana 2 Motohaba 3.15cm Sakihaba 2.4cm Moto-kasane 0.7cm The Kongobyoe are a prestigious school that flourished from the late Kamakura period to the late Muromachi period. Among them, the swordsmiths active from the late Kamakura to the early Nanbokucho period are collectively called "Ko-Kongobyoe" and have been prized as representative old works of Kyushu-mono. Shape: shinogi-zukuri, iori-mune, wide mihaba, little difference between motohaba and sakihaba, somewhat thin kasane, somewhat shallow sori, a grand o-kissaki tsukuri-komi. Kitae: itame mixed with o-itame, becoming masame-gakari, the hada stands out in a large pattern, jinie attaches thickly, chikei enters well, mixed with jifu-like hada, shirake-utsuri stands out, and the kane takes on a darkish tint. Hamon: hoso-suguha, the habuchi as a whole is finely hotsure, the nioiguchi is shimari-gokoro with plenty of konie, mixed with kuichigai-ba, nijuba-kakari, with a yakiotoshi of about 2 sun 6 bu above the hamachi. Boshi: sugu with o-maru, slightly hakikake. Nakago: ubu, ha-agari kurijiri. This sword has a wide mihaba and o-kissaki, little difference between motohaba and sakihaba, and a shallow sori in the Nanbokucho style tsukuri-komi; the kitae has a strongly flowing itame, becoming masame-gakari, with thick jinie and a unique texture that feels sticky and soft where shirake-utsuri stands out; the hamon is hoso-suguha with nie, the nioiguchi is somewhat shizumi-gokoro, overall urumi, and with a large yakiotoshi at the moto, it exudes the flavor of the Kyushu classical school. What should be noted is that it is an ubu-nakago. There are few examples of tachi from the Kamakura and Nanbokucho periods that retain their original form from the time of production, suggesting that this work has been carefully handed down for a long time. (Even if it is mumei, because the production period is the Nanbokucho period and it is an ubu-nakago, the classification is "tachi".) Furthermore, the accompanying late Edo period han-dachi koshirae is an elegant work featuring a dynastic-style o-kojiri, which further enhances the character of this Nanbokucho old work.
NihontoWatchOffered by Seikeido
10 on the market
Machine translation from the shop's Japanese · may contain errors ·
Wakimono · Chikuzen
10 pieces on the market now
The Kongōbyōe school (Kongōbyōe-ha) flourished in Chikuzen Province during the Nanbokuchō period alongside the more celebrated Samonji lineage. Based in the Reizen district, the school takes its name from the artisan Kongōbyōe, though signed examples are exceedingly rare, with the earliest documented work being a tantō by Sadamori dated Shōhei 25 (1370) and designated an Important Art Object. This blade's signature—"Chikushū Reizen Sadamori"[[c:1]]—confirms the school's geographic center and provides a stylistic benchmark for attributions within the tradition. Kongōbyōe blades exhibit a distinctive Yamato temperament (Yamato kishitsu) in both jigane and hamon, setting them apart from typical Kyūshū productions. The forging characteristically combines large itame with nagare-hada and prominent mokume-hada, creating surface texture that stands out conspicuously. The jigane tends toward a dark, slightly blackish tone with frequent chikei interwoven throughout.
The hamon is invariably a narrow suguha or hoso-suguha, occasionally tinged with shallow notare or small gunome inflections. The nioiguchi displays a characteristic tight feeling (shimari-gokoro) with well-adhering ko-nie, while modest kinsuji and sunagashi create refined scenery spanning ji and ha. Near the cutting edge, nagare-hada often transitions to masame, and hotsure appears along the habuchi. The school's output demonstrates what period connoisseurs termed "metal flavor" (kanamono), reflecting Kyūshū forging traditions while maintaining the refined sensibility of Yamato technique. Extant works attributed to Ko-Kongōbyōe typically survive as greatly shortened (ō-suriage) blades with Nanbokuchō proportions—wide mihaba, shallow sori, and ō-kissaki—presenting dignified, powerful forms despite their modified state. The combination of dark-toned jigane densely filled with fine chikei, tight nioiguchi, and restrained nie activity creates a sober yet engaging aesthetic that distinguishes the school within the broader Chikuzen tradition. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Sadamori貞盛 | 1345-1350 | 23 |
| Morimitsu盛光 | 1558-1570 | 0 |
| Moriyasu盛安 | 1532-1555 | 0 |
| Moriyoshi盛吉 | 1532-1555 | 0 |
| Morihisa盛久 | 1521-1528 | 0 |
The Nanbokuchō period (1333 to 1392)
Two courts, sixty years of war, and the most dramatic silhouettes in the sword’s history: broad blades, extended points, true ōdachi later cut down into the majestic katana collectors prize. The Sōshū manner was the style of the age.
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.
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