This is a katana by Awa no Kami Yasutsuna, a smith of the Kii Ishido school. It features a vibrant choji-midare hamon and a well-worked itame jihada, reflecting the Bizen-inspired tradition. The blade is accompanied by a beautifully preserved early Edo koshirae, including a Heianjo-Zogan tsuba, and is certified NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon.
NihontoWatchmei · Kii Ishido (yasuhiro Branch) · Kanbun (1661-1673) · nagasa 70.3cm · sori 1.5cm
Shinto · Kii · around 1661-1673
1 piece on the market now
Shinto · Omi
45 pieces on the market now
The Ishido school (石堂) traces its root to Omi Province, where smiths surnamed Hioki and bearing names such as Ishido worked before the line dispersed across the country in the early Edo period. From that Omi stem grew four principal branches: the Fukuoka Ishido of Chikuzen, the Edo Ishido carried east by makers who had first gone up from Omi to Kyoto, the Osaka Ishido seeded by smiths who settled in the merchant city, and the Kishu Ishido working under the Kii daimyo. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Tsunemitsu常光 | 1648-1661 | 7 |
| Yasuhiro安廣 | 1661-1673 | 4 |
| Tsunahiro綱廣 | 1673-1681 | 0 |
| Nagatsugu長次 | 1345-1350 | 0 |
| Nagatsugu長次 | 1681-1684 | 0 |
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 siteAll swords come with a three-day inspection period beginning from the date of delivery. If not satisfied, the sword may be returned within this period for a full refund of the purchase price. Outside of this period, all sales are final. Swords purchased on a layaway payment plan are not eligible for the three-day inspection period.
This is a katana by Awa no Kami Yasutsuna, a smith of the Kii Ishido school. It features a vibrant choji-midare hamon and a well-worked itame jihada, reflecting the Bizen-inspired tradition. The blade is accompanied by a beautifully preserved early Edo koshirae, including a Heianjo-Zogan tsuba, and is certified NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon.
NihontoWatchmei · Kii Ishido (yasuhiro Branch) · Kanbun (1661-1673) · nagasa 70.3cm · sori 1.5cm
Shinto · Kii · around 1661-1673
1 piece on the market now
Shinto · Omi
45 pieces on the market now
The Ishido school (石堂) traces its root to Omi Province, where smiths surnamed Hioki and bearing names such as Ishido worked before the line dispersed across the country in the early Edo period. From that Omi stem grew four principal branches: the Fukuoka Ishido of Chikuzen, the Edo Ishido carried east by makers who had first gone up from Omi to Kyoto, the Osaka Ishido seeded by smiths who settled in the merchant city, and the Kishu Ishido working under the Kii daimyo. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Tsunemitsu常光 | 1648-1661 | 7 |
| Yasuhiro安廣 | 1661-1673 | 4 |
| Tsunahiro綱廣 | 1673-1681 | 0 |
| Nagatsugu長次 | 1345-1350 | 0 |
| Nagatsugu長次 | 1681-1684 | 0 |
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 siteAll swords come with a three-day inspection period beginning from the date of delivery. If not satisfied, the sword may be returned within this period for a full refund of the purchase price. Outside of this period, all sales are final. Swords purchased on a layaway payment plan are not eligible for the three-day inspection period.
