This is an impressive tanto by Echizen no Kuni ju Kanetane, a notable smith of the early Edo period. It features a slightly broad silhouette and a beautifully executed gunome-midare hamon with active inazuma. The blade and its elegant koshirae are preserved in fine condition, making it a highly desirable piece for collectors.
NihontoWatchBETAmei · Genna (1615-1624) · nagasa 28.5cm · sori 0.1cm
Mino-den · Echizen · around 1615-1624
Fujishiro Jo saku · Tōken Taikan top 49%
4 pieces on the market now
Kaneue traces his origins to the smiths of Gino in Mino Province, who later migrated to Echizen. The NBTHK identifies from his signature "a connection to the line of the Seki smiths," and positions the first generation's activity in the Keicho era, squarely within the formative period of shinto production. Several generations bearing the same name succeeded one another — the meikan records successive smiths through Kan'ei, Enpo, and Genroku — each producing skillful work and transmitting the vestiges of the Seki-fu (Seki style). Because the shodai Echizen Kaneue's style and carvings share features common to the Echizen Shimosaka group, "it may be supposed that the shodai Echizen Kaneue was perhaps originally from Mino, assimilated early with the Shimosaka smiths of Omi, and later moved to Echizen."
The characteristic sugata of Kaneue's work presents the archetypal Keicho shinto form: wide mihaba with minimal narrowing from base to tip, thick kasane, and an elongated chu-kissaki conveying a weighty, solid, and robust taihai. The jihada is itame mixed with mokume, with standing grain and a somewhat darkened "kane" tone described as "distinctive to northern-region workmanship." The hamon is narrow and fundamentally suguha, with shallow, small notare and a running admixture of small gunome; abundant ko-ashi, interspersed yo, ko-nie, and finely applied sunagashi produce what the NBTHK characterizes as "a calm and restrained style" in which "there is, in one vein, something that corresponds to the manner of Higo Daijo Sadakuni." The carvings — particularly the kurikara in relief within the hitsu — are "deeply cut and forceful in their incision" and display the characteristics of Kinai-bori, comparable to those seen on works by Yasutsugu of the same province.
The NBTHK reserves its highest praise for the shodai's work, declaring his Tokubetsu-Juyo katana to be "the shodai Echizen Kaneue's finest work, and among his extant pieces no superior example is seen." Both jigane and tempering are described as "outstanding among this smith's works," and the workmanship in ji and ha is called "exceptionally splendid." His production is recognized as embodying a Mino-Seki manner distinct from the Yasutsugu lineage — a distinction the NBTHK credits as the very reason that "Echizen-Seki came to be celebrated."
Where Kanetane 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.
Mino-den · Mino
144 pieces on the market now
Seki (関), in Mino Province, grew from two roots set down in the Nanbokuchō period and rose to become the great center of mass sword production in the late medieval age. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Kinju金重 | 1340-1346 | 45 |
| Ujifusa氏房 | 1596-1615 | 16 |
| Kaneyuki金行 | 1350-1352 | 10 |
| Ujifusa氏房 | 1571-1592 | 9 |
| Kanekore兼之 | 1504-1555 | 7 |
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 siteThree-day cooling-off period from receipt for refund or exchange. Return shipping and transfer fees are customer responsibility. Items showing use or condition changes are non-returnable.
This is an impressive tanto by Echizen no Kuni ju Kanetane, a notable smith of the early Edo period. It features a slightly broad silhouette and a beautifully executed gunome-midare hamon with active inazuma. The blade and its elegant koshirae are preserved in fine condition, making it a highly desirable piece for collectors.
NihontoWatchBETAmei · Genna (1615-1624) · nagasa 28.5cm · sori 0.1cm
Mino-den · Echizen · around 1615-1624
Fujishiro Jo saku · Tōken Taikan top 49%
4 pieces on the market now
Kaneue traces his origins to the smiths of Gino in Mino Province, who later migrated to Echizen. The NBTHK identifies from his signature "a connection to the line of the Seki smiths," and positions the first generation's activity in the Keicho era, squarely within the formative period of shinto production. Several generations bearing the same name succeeded one another — the meikan records successive smiths through Kan'ei, Enpo, and Genroku — each producing skillful work and transmitting the vestiges of the Seki-fu (Seki style). Because the shodai Echizen Kaneue's style and carvings share features common to the Echizen Shimosaka group, "it may be supposed that the shodai Echizen Kaneue was perhaps originally from Mino, assimilated early with the Shimosaka smiths of Omi, and later moved to Echizen."
The characteristic sugata of Kaneue's work presents the archetypal Keicho shinto form: wide mihaba with minimal narrowing from base to tip, thick kasane, and an elongated chu-kissaki conveying a weighty, solid, and robust taihai. The jihada is itame mixed with mokume, with standing grain and a somewhat darkened "kane" tone described as "distinctive to northern-region workmanship." The hamon is narrow and fundamentally suguha, with shallow, small notare and a running admixture of small gunome; abundant ko-ashi, interspersed yo, ko-nie, and finely applied sunagashi produce what the NBTHK characterizes as "a calm and restrained style" in which "there is, in one vein, something that corresponds to the manner of Higo Daijo Sadakuni." The carvings — particularly the kurikara in relief within the hitsu — are "deeply cut and forceful in their incision" and display the characteristics of Kinai-bori, comparable to those seen on works by Yasutsugu of the same province.
The NBTHK reserves its highest praise for the shodai's work, declaring his Tokubetsu-Juyo katana to be "the shodai Echizen Kaneue's finest work, and among his extant pieces no superior example is seen." Both jigane and tempering are described as "outstanding among this smith's works," and the workmanship in ji and ha is called "exceptionally splendid." His production is recognized as embodying a Mino-Seki manner distinct from the Yasutsugu lineage — a distinction the NBTHK credits as the very reason that "Echizen-Seki came to be celebrated."
Where Kanetane 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.
Mino-den · Mino
144 pieces on the market now
Seki (関), in Mino Province, grew from two roots set down in the Nanbokuchō period and rose to become the great center of mass sword production in the late medieval age. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Kinju金重 | 1340-1346 | 45 |
| Ujifusa氏房 | 1596-1615 | 16 |
| Kaneyuki金行 | 1350-1352 | 10 |
| Ujifusa氏房 | 1571-1592 | 9 |
| Kanekore兼之 | 1504-1555 | 7 |
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 siteThree-day cooling-off period from receipt for refund or exchange. Return shipping and transfer fees are customer responsibility. Items showing use or condition changes are non-returnable.
