This is a Koto period tanto by Kanefusa from the Mino school, active during the Eiroku era (circa 1558-). It features a hira-zukuri configuration, a distinctive 'Kanefusa-midare' hamon, and comes with a black lacquered samegawa-polished chisa-katana koshirae. The blade is certified Tokubetsu Hozon by the NBTHK and is preserved in a shirasaya.
NihontoWatchBETAmei · Mino · Muromachi · nagasa 26.8cm
Mino-den · Mino · around 1558-1570
Tōken Taikan top 26%
3 pieces on the market now
Kanefusa is among the best-known smiths of the Mino tradition in the Muromachi period, working from the town of Seki in Noshu. According to sword-signature reference works, his origins lie with the Akasaka smiths, and the first generation is considered to have been Shigefusa, active around the Kakitsu era (1441-1444). The name continued under successive generations from the mid-Muromachi period into the shinto era. Among extant dated works, examples are recorded from the Bunmei, Tenbun, Eiroku, and Tensho eras, with the greatest number of surviving pieces — including those bearing two-character signatures — dating from approximately Eiroku through Tensho. Most long-signature examples are cut "Noshu Seki-ju," confirming that the smith resided in Seki.
Kanefusa is particularly famed for having devised the temper pattern known as "Kanefusa midare" (also termed Kenbo midare), an idiosyncratic gunome-choji whose heads are rounded and whose waists constrict. Beyond this signature style, works also appear in notare and in sanbonsugi-midare in the manner of Kanemoto, demonstrating a broad range of expression. The forging typically shows itame-hada with a tendency toward nagare, accompanied by ji-nie and an overall shirake-gokoro — a whitish cast characteristic of Mino workmanship. The nioiguchi tends toward tightness with ko-nie adhering, and finer examples display tobiyaki and muneyaki interspersed throughout, producing a varied and lively temper. The bold, vigorous style associated with later Mino workmanship is consistently evident.
Kanefusa's best works are praised by the NBTHK as notably vigorous and full of spirited force, with ample nikuoki and robust overall shape deemed particularly pleasing. Blades in sound condition are recognized as kenzen, with both ji and ha well executed. The flamboyant expression of the distinctive midare, combined with wide mihaba and o-kissaki, produces an imposing sugata of dignified presence. Several designated examples also bear gold-inlaid cutting-test inscriptions of considerable documentary value, attesting to the practical esteem in which these blades were held during the Edo period.
Where Kanefusa 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 |
| Ujifusa氏房 | 1571-1592 | 9 |
| Kaneyuki金行 | 1350-1352 | 10 |
| Kanekore兼之 | 1504-1555 | 7 |
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 siteFor a return, please contact us within 7 days of the item's arrival. If specification changes such as dimensions were made at the customer's request, a return cannot be accepted. Shipping and transfer fees are the customer's responsibility.
This is a Koto period tanto by Kanefusa from the Mino school, active during the Eiroku era (circa 1558-). It features a hira-zukuri configuration, a distinctive 'Kanefusa-midare' hamon, and comes with a black lacquered samegawa-polished chisa-katana koshirae. The blade is certified Tokubetsu Hozon by the NBTHK and is preserved in a shirasaya.
NihontoWatchBETAmei · Mino · Muromachi · nagasa 26.8cm
Mino-den · Mino · around 1558-1570
Tōken Taikan top 26%
3 pieces on the market now
Kanefusa is among the best-known smiths of the Mino tradition in the Muromachi period, working from the town of Seki in Noshu. According to sword-signature reference works, his origins lie with the Akasaka smiths, and the first generation is considered to have been Shigefusa, active around the Kakitsu era (1441-1444). The name continued under successive generations from the mid-Muromachi period into the shinto era. Among extant dated works, examples are recorded from the Bunmei, Tenbun, Eiroku, and Tensho eras, with the greatest number of surviving pieces — including those bearing two-character signatures — dating from approximately Eiroku through Tensho. Most long-signature examples are cut "Noshu Seki-ju," confirming that the smith resided in Seki.
Kanefusa is particularly famed for having devised the temper pattern known as "Kanefusa midare" (also termed Kenbo midare), an idiosyncratic gunome-choji whose heads are rounded and whose waists constrict. Beyond this signature style, works also appear in notare and in sanbonsugi-midare in the manner of Kanemoto, demonstrating a broad range of expression. The forging typically shows itame-hada with a tendency toward nagare, accompanied by ji-nie and an overall shirake-gokoro — a whitish cast characteristic of Mino workmanship. The nioiguchi tends toward tightness with ko-nie adhering, and finer examples display tobiyaki and muneyaki interspersed throughout, producing a varied and lively temper. The bold, vigorous style associated with later Mino workmanship is consistently evident.
Kanefusa's best works are praised by the NBTHK as notably vigorous and full of spirited force, with ample nikuoki and robust overall shape deemed particularly pleasing. Blades in sound condition are recognized as kenzen, with both ji and ha well executed. The flamboyant expression of the distinctive midare, combined with wide mihaba and o-kissaki, produces an imposing sugata of dignified presence. Several designated examples also bear gold-inlaid cutting-test inscriptions of considerable documentary value, attesting to the practical esteem in which these blades were held during the Edo period.
Where Kanefusa 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 |
| Ujifusa氏房 | 1571-1592 | 9 |
| Kaneyuki金行 | 1350-1352 | 10 |
| Kanekore兼之 | 1504-1555 | 7 |
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 siteFor a return, please contact us within 7 days of the item's arrival. If specification changes such as dimensions were made at the customer's request, a return cannot be accepted. Shipping and transfer fees are the customer's responsibility.
