This katana is by Yokoyama Sukekane, adopted son of Yokoyama Sukemori, and a prominent smith of the Shin-Shinto period from Bizen province. He signed his blades as '58th Generation Descendant of Tomonari' to claim lineage to the founder of Bizen smithing. The blade features a well-forged ko-itame hada and a nioi-gachi choji midare hamon, with a rare hirazukuri construction despite its long nagasa.
Certificate reading — 銘 備前国長船住横山祐包 友成五十八代孫 弘化三年二月日
mei · Kaei (1848-1854) · nagasa 79.8cm · sori 2.7cm



Bizen-den · Bizen · around 1834-1872
Tōken Taikan top 60%
12 pieces on the market now
Bizen-den · Bizen
44 pieces on the market now
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Sukenobu祐信 | 1830-1844 | 0 |
| Suketaka祐高 | 1865-1868 | 0 |
| Sukeharu祐春 | 1864-1865 | 0 |
| Sukehiro祐廣 | 1854-1860 | 0 |
| Sukekane祐包 | 1868-1912 | 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 sitePlease contact us by phone within 3 days of the item's arrival and ship it back the next day. The postage and security service fees are the customer's responsibility.
This katana is by Yokoyama Sukekane, adopted son of Yokoyama Sukemori, and a prominent smith of the Shin-Shinto period from Bizen province. He signed his blades as '58th Generation Descendant of Tomonari' to claim lineage to the founder of Bizen smithing. The blade features a well-forged ko-itame hada and a nioi-gachi choji midare hamon, with a rare hirazukuri construction despite its long nagasa.
Certificate reading — 銘 備前国長船住横山祐包 友成五十八代孫 弘化三年二月日
mei · Kaei (1848-1854) · nagasa 79.8cm · sori 2.7cm



Bizen-den · Bizen · around 1834-1872
Tōken Taikan top 60%
12 pieces on the market now
Bizen-den · Bizen
44 pieces on the market now
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Sukenobu祐信 | 1830-1844 | 0 |
| Suketaka祐高 | 1865-1868 | 0 |
| Sukeharu祐春 | 1864-1865 | 0 |
| Sukehiro祐廣 | 1854-1860 | 0 |
| Sukekane祐包 | 1868-1912 | 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 sitePlease contact us by phone within 3 days of the item's arrival and ship it back the next day. The postage and security service fees are the customer's responsibility.