This is a rare signed Hasebe Kunihira tanto from the Nambokucho period, crafted circa 1368 in Yamashiro province. It features classic Soshu tradition characteristics like itame mixed with masame hada, abundant ji-nie, and an irregular ko-midare hamon with hitatsura. The tanto comes with a vintage dashizame aikuchi-koshirae, NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon certification for the blade, and NBTHK Hozon for the kozuka.
NihontoWatchmei · Hasebe · Koto – mid-nambokucho Period (oan era: 1368-1375) · nagasa 27cm · sori 0.2cm
Soshu-den · Yamashiro
4 pieces on the market now
The Hasebe school (長谷部) took its base in Kyoto, at Gojo-bomon Inokuma in Yamashiro, where it settled during the Nanbokucho period after a longer migration that the published sources now read as a movement out of Yamato, through maturation in Sagami, and at last into the capital. Its founder, Hasebe Kunishige, carried the Soshu-den learned in the orbit of Masamune, counted in the old reckoning among the Masamune-juttetsu, and his Yamato substrate shows through the Soshu manner in his steel. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Kunishige國重 | 1334-1360 | 54 |
| Kuninobu國信 | 1334-1363 | 41 |
| Kunihira國平 | 1336-1364 | 3 |
| Kageshige景重 | 1532-1555 | 0 |
| Kunishige國重 | 1370-1372 | 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 rare signed Hasebe Kunihira tanto from the Nambokucho period, crafted circa 1368 in Yamashiro province. It features classic Soshu tradition characteristics like itame mixed with masame hada, abundant ji-nie, and an irregular ko-midare hamon with hitatsura. The tanto comes with a vintage dashizame aikuchi-koshirae, NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon certification for the blade, and NBTHK Hozon for the kozuka.
NihontoWatchmei · Hasebe · Koto – mid-nambokucho Period (oan era: 1368-1375) · nagasa 27cm · sori 0.2cm
Soshu-den · Yamashiro
4 pieces on the market now
The Hasebe school (長谷部) took its base in Kyoto, at Gojo-bomon Inokuma in Yamashiro, where it settled during the Nanbokucho period after a longer migration that the published sources now read as a movement out of Yamato, through maturation in Sagami, and at last into the capital. Its founder, Hasebe Kunishige, carried the Soshu-den learned in the orbit of Masamune, counted in the old reckoning among the Masamune-juttetsu, and his Yamato substrate shows through the Soshu manner in his steel. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Kunishige國重 | 1334-1360 | 54 |
| Kuninobu國信 | 1334-1363 | 41 |
| Kunihira國平 | 1336-1364 | 3 |
| Kageshige景重 | 1532-1555 | 0 |
| Kunishige國重 | 1370-1372 | 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.
