This is a katana by Izumi-no-Kami Kaneshige, a prominent smith of the early Edo period, known as one of the representative smiths of Edo Shinto. It is famously said to be the favorite sword of the legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. The blade comes with a black Ishime-nuri Tachi Koshirae and is certified as Tokubetsu Hozon by the NBTHK.
Certificate reading — 銘 和泉守兼重
NihontoWatchmei · Shinto · nagasa 63.1cm · sori 1.1cm
Shinto · Musashi
12 pieces on the market now
Edo was the base of the Kaneshige line, whose first master, Izumi no Kami Fujiwara Kaneshige, emerged among the city's swordsmiths after the shodai Yasutsugu and Hankei. The setsumei follow the account in the Kokon Kajibikō that he began as an arrowhead smith (yanone-kaji) in Echizen, then moved to Edo and turned to forging blades; his earliest dated work is a naginata inscribed Kan'ei 2 (1625), with dated pieces running into the Meireki era. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Kaneshige兼重 | 1661-1673 | 21 |
| Kaneshige兼重 | 1624-1661 | 7 |
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 siteCooling-off (returns or exchanges) is accepted within 3 days of the item's arrival. Return shipping and refund transfer fees are the customer's responsibility. Fees other than the item price (transfer fees, credit card fees, etc.) cannot be refunded. Returns and refunds are not available for overseas destinations.
This is a katana by Izumi-no-Kami Kaneshige, a prominent smith of the early Edo period, known as one of the representative smiths of Edo Shinto. It is famously said to be the favorite sword of the legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. The blade comes with a black Ishime-nuri Tachi Koshirae and is certified as Tokubetsu Hozon by the NBTHK.
Certificate reading — 銘 和泉守兼重
NihontoWatchmei · Shinto · nagasa 63.1cm · sori 1.1cm
Shinto · Musashi
12 pieces on the market now
Edo was the base of the Kaneshige line, whose first master, Izumi no Kami Fujiwara Kaneshige, emerged among the city's swordsmiths after the shodai Yasutsugu and Hankei. The setsumei follow the account in the Kokon Kajibikō that he began as an arrowhead smith (yanone-kaji) in Echizen, then moved to Edo and turned to forging blades; his earliest dated work is a naginata inscribed Kan'ei 2 (1625), with dated pieces running into the Meireki era. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Kaneshige兼重 | 1661-1673 | 21 |
| Kaneshige兼重 | 1624-1661 | 7 |
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 siteCooling-off (returns or exchanges) is accepted within 3 days of the item's arrival. Return shipping and refund transfer fees are the customer's responsibility. Fees other than the item price (transfer fees, credit card fees, etc.) cannot be refunded. Returns and refunds are not available for overseas destinations.
