This is a muscular katana by Hiroshige of the Shitahara school, forged in the rare unokubi-zukuri shape. Datable from the Kan'ei to Kanbun eras (circa 1624 to 1673), it features a lively hamon with notare, ko-gunome, tobiyaki, and kanitsume, with muneyaki along the spine in the Sôshû tradition. The blade comes with a custom koshirae commissioned in 2019, themed around the inoshishi (wild boar).
NihontoWatchBETAubu · Shitahara · Meireki (1655-1658) · nagasa 65.1cm · sori 1.5cm
Shinto · Musashi
7 pieces on the market now
The Shitahara group (下原) worked at Hachiōji in Bushū, the old province of Musashi, from the end of the Muromachi period and carried its forge on into the Edo period. The setsumei place the lineage among the swordmakers of Musashi in the kotō age and name Terushige, Yasushige, Hiroshige, and Chikashige as its leading hands, with the meikan recording Terushige across three generations: a shodai in Kyōroku, a nidai in Eiroku, and a sandai in Tenshō. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Yasushige康重 | 1661-1704 | 0 |
| Morishige盛重 | 1661-1673 | 0 |
| Terushige照重 | 1661-1673 | 0 |
| Terushige照重 | 1558-1570 | 2 |
| Terushige照重 | 1596-1615 | 1 |
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 muscular katana by Hiroshige of the Shitahara school, forged in the rare unokubi-zukuri shape. Datable from the Kan'ei to Kanbun eras (circa 1624 to 1673), it features a lively hamon with notare, ko-gunome, tobiyaki, and kanitsume, with muneyaki along the spine in the Sôshû tradition. The blade comes with a custom koshirae commissioned in 2019, themed around the inoshishi (wild boar).
NihontoWatchBETAubu · Shitahara · Meireki (1655-1658) · nagasa 65.1cm · sori 1.5cm
Shinto · Musashi
7 pieces on the market now
The Shitahara group (下原) worked at Hachiōji in Bushū, the old province of Musashi, from the end of the Muromachi period and carried its forge on into the Edo period. The setsumei place the lineage among the swordmakers of Musashi in the kotō age and name Terushige, Yasushige, Hiroshige, and Chikashige as its leading hands, with the meikan recording Terushige across three generations: a shodai in Kyōroku, a nidai in Eiroku, and a sandai in Tenshō. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Yasushige康重 | 1661-1704 | 0 |
| Morishige盛重 | 1661-1673 | 0 |
| Terushige照重 | 1661-1673 | 0 |
| Terushige照重 | 1558-1570 | 2 |
| Terushige照重 | 1596-1615 | 1 |
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.
