Tokubetsu Hozon Token 『 Den (Aoe NAGATSUGU) 』 Token Type: 『Katana』 Mei: 『Mumei (Den) Aoe NAGATSUGU』 『Aoe NAGATSUGU』 Nihonto Kanteisho: 『Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai Tokubetsu Hozon Token』 NBTHK 『Tokubetsu Hozon Paper』 Jidai: 『Showa (Late Kamakura period)』 Production age 『1312-1317』 The early 11th-century text "Shin Sarugakuki" lists "Bitchu no Katana" (swords of Bitchu) among the famous products of various provinces. Two centuries later, the Aoe school swordsmiths emerged to inherit this reputation, flourishing primarily in the lower reaches of the Takahashi River. They are generally categorized into two groups: those active until the mid-Kamakura period are called Ko-Aoe, while those from the late Kamakura through the Nanbokucho period are broadly termed Aoe. Regarding their workmanship, Ko-Aoe works often feature a suguba style mixed with ko-midare in konie-deki with a somewhat subdued nioiguchi. By the late Kamakura period, the nie becomes calmer, and by the Nanbokucho period, the nioiguchi tightens, showing a bright and clear dekiguchi. Regarding Aoe Nagatsugu, there are smiths of the same mei recorded in the late Kamakura period (Showa era), the subsequent generation in the Nanbokucho period (Bunna era), and the early Muromachi period (Oei era). This katana has a standard mihaba with a noticeable difference between the moto and saki widths, a ko-kissaki, and funbari. The elegant tachi-sugata features a deep sori that leans more toward koshi-zori than wa-zori. Unlike the grand, robust taihai of the Nanbokucho period, it manifests the characteristics of the late Kamakura to early Nanbokucho period, confirming the kime (attribution) to Showa-era Nagatsugu. The scenery within the ha shows variety, the nioiguchi is bright and clear, and the tachi-sugata with rich hiraniku is also desirable. The production date is estimated to be roughly around the Showa era of the late Kamakura period. 『Keijo』 Shinogi-zukuri, iori-mune, standard mihaba, deep sori, ko-kissaki. 『Kitae』 Itame-hada, somewhat hada-tachi, jinie attaches well, fine chikei enters. 『Hamon』 Saka-choji midare mixed with juka-choji style blades, ashi and yo enter, becoming high and flamboyant up to the yaki-shinogi. 『Boshi』 Sugu with a small maru-saki, slightly hakikake, short kaeri. 『Nakago』 O-suriage, saki-kiri, yasurime-kiri, five mekugi-ana, mumei. 『Horimono』 Omote: Futasuji-hi with Bonji and suken kakinagasu. Ura: Futasuji-hi with Bonji and koshi-hi kakinagasu. 『Tsuke』 Shirasaya 『Size』 Nagasa (Blade length): 68.3cm, Sori: 2.8cm, Motohaba (Width of moto): 2.9cm, Sakihaba (Width of saki): 1.7cm, Motokasane (Thickness of moto): 0.82cm, Sakikasane (Thickness of saki): 0.43cm
NihontoWatchden · Aoe · Kamakura · nagasa 68.3cm · sori 2.8cm
Bizen-den · Bitchu
8 pieces on the market now
The Chu-Aoe school represents the middle and culminating phase of the Aoe tradition of Bitchu Province, encompassing smiths active from the late Kamakura period through the Nanbokucho era. The lineage traces its origins to an ancient swordmaking heritage in the lower basin of the Takahashi River, a tradition already celebrated in the eleventh-century Shin Sarugakki, which counted "the swords of Bitchu" among the notable products of the provinces. Scholars conventionally distinguish earlier Ko-Aoe production, extending through the mid-Kamakura period, from the Chu-Aoe and later Sue-Aoe phases that carried the tradition forward. The name Sadatsugu -- transmitted since the Kanchiin-bon Meizukushi as one of the goban-kaji appointed to serve Retired Emperor Gotoba and accorded the highest valuation in the Shinkan Hiden-sho[[c:1]] -- stands as the school's most prestigious lineage name, while Yoshitsugu, Naotsugu, Tsunetsugu, and Hidetsugu represent the principal working smiths whose signed and dated examples anchor the chronology of the late Kamakura Aoe group. With the transition into the Nanbokucho period, a second flowering emerged under Tsugunao, Tsuguyoshi, and Moritsugu, who are consistently identified by the NBTHK as the representative smiths of Aoe in that era. The technical identity of Chu-Aoe is defined by a constellation of traits that recur with remarkable consistency across the school's members. The forging characteristically displays tightly packed ko-itame-hada mixed with mokume, upon which extremely fine ji-nie adheres thickly and delicate chikei are interwoven. A mottled, patch-like jifu texture frequently appears, and the distinctive crepe-like surface known as chirimen-hada is encountered among several smiths. Most diagnostic of all is the school's utsuri, which manifests in multiple forms: midare-utsuri, the stepped dan-utsuri in which linear utsuri near the edge transitions to midare-utsuri toward the mune, and the dark-toned sumihada. The hamon is fundamentally suguha-based, ranging from narrow hoso-suguha to medium chu-suguha with shallow notare, into which ko-gunome, ko-choji, and saka-ashi are mixed. The nioiguchi is universally described as tight, bright, and clear -- the single most defining quality of the school -- producing a deep shio-ai that is repeatedly praised in NBTHK assessments.
The boshi characteristically runs straight, turning back in ko-maru with a tendency toward a pointed tip. A critical stylistic evolution occurred within the Nanbokucho period: while the late Kamakura smiths worked predominantly in suguha, the later generation developed a splendid, flamboyant saka-choji-midare that became the school's most celebrated mode. Tsugunao is recognized as "a master of saka-choji," producing tempering of such florid brilliance that the NBTHK characterizes it as "the exclusive forte of this group"[[c:2]] -- an emblematic and highly individual domain. The reverse-slanting tendencies visible in earlier Kamakura-period works are understood as precursors to this splendid later development. The Chu-Aoe school occupies a position of enduring prestige within the Japanese sword canon. The Hon'ami family developed a longstanding practice of rendering Sadatsugu appraisals for unsigned Aoe works of particularly fine workmanship, treating the name as a mark of the highest quality within the tradition. Naotsugu and Yoshitsugu, whose signed examples bearing official court titles and era dates from Gentoku through Kanno survive in exceptional condition, furnish irreplaceable documentary material for the study of Bitchu swordmaking. Works from the school have been transmitted through distinguished collections -- the Choshu Mori, the Nabeshima of Hizen, the Uesugi, and the Maeda of Kaga -- attesting to sustained appreciation across centuries. Naotsugu occupies a pivotal position at the transition from the ko-nie-deki manner of the Kamakura period to the tighter, brighter nioi-deki workmanship of the Nanbokucho era, while Moritsugu's rare surviving works bridge the late Kamakura and early Nanbokucho phases with tanto displaying both the traditional suguha and a saka-choji not previously encountered in the school. In both the quiet restraint of their suguha and the gorgeous brilliance of their saka-choji-midare, the smiths of Chu-Aoe demonstrate the Bitchu tradition at its most refined and accomplished -- a school whose tightly forged steel, luminous nioiguchi, and distinctive utsuri constitute an aesthetic achievement of the first order. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Tsugunao次直 | 1345-1361 | 25 |
| Naotsugu直次 | 1335-1364 | 15 |
| Yoshitsugu吉次 | 1326-1332 | 17 |
| Moritsugu守次 | 1356-1361 | 9 |
| Tsuguyoshi次吉 | 1338-1358 | 19 |
Kamakura was Bizen’s summit. Tradition places Ichimonji smiths among Go-Toba’s goban kaji, Mitsutada founded the Osafune line at mid-century, and orders flowed from the court and the warrior government alike. No province holds more National Treasure blades.
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 siteWhen the item reaches you, please check immediately for damage and that it matches your order. We bear the shipping cost for a return; please send it freight-collect. Costs other than the item price cannot be refunded.
Tokubetsu Hozon Token 『 Den (Aoe NAGATSUGU) 』 Token Type: 『Katana』 Mei: 『Mumei (Den) Aoe NAGATSUGU』 『Aoe NAGATSUGU』 Nihonto Kanteisho: 『Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai Tokubetsu Hozon Token』 NBTHK 『Tokubetsu Hozon Paper』 Jidai: 『Showa (Late Kamakura period)』 Production age 『1312-1317』 The early 11th-century text "Shin Sarugakuki" lists "Bitchu no Katana" (swords of Bitchu) among the famous products of various provinces. Two centuries later, the Aoe school swordsmiths emerged to inherit this reputation, flourishing primarily in the lower reaches of the Takahashi River. They are generally categorized into two groups: those active until the mid-Kamakura period are called Ko-Aoe, while those from the late Kamakura through the Nanbokucho period are broadly termed Aoe. Regarding their workmanship, Ko-Aoe works often feature a suguba style mixed with ko-midare in konie-deki with a somewhat subdued nioiguchi. By the late Kamakura period, the nie becomes calmer, and by the Nanbokucho period, the nioiguchi tightens, showing a bright and clear dekiguchi. Regarding Aoe Nagatsugu, there are smiths of the same mei recorded in the late Kamakura period (Showa era), the subsequent generation in the Nanbokucho period (Bunna era), and the early Muromachi period (Oei era). This katana has a standard mihaba with a noticeable difference between the moto and saki widths, a ko-kissaki, and funbari. The elegant tachi-sugata features a deep sori that leans more toward koshi-zori than wa-zori. Unlike the grand, robust taihai of the Nanbokucho period, it manifests the characteristics of the late Kamakura to early Nanbokucho period, confirming the kime (attribution) to Showa-era Nagatsugu. The scenery within the ha shows variety, the nioiguchi is bright and clear, and the tachi-sugata with rich hiraniku is also desirable. The production date is estimated to be roughly around the Showa era of the late Kamakura period. 『Keijo』 Shinogi-zukuri, iori-mune, standard mihaba, deep sori, ko-kissaki. 『Kitae』 Itame-hada, somewhat hada-tachi, jinie attaches well, fine chikei enters. 『Hamon』 Saka-choji midare mixed with juka-choji style blades, ashi and yo enter, becoming high and flamboyant up to the yaki-shinogi. 『Boshi』 Sugu with a small maru-saki, slightly hakikake, short kaeri. 『Nakago』 O-suriage, saki-kiri, yasurime-kiri, five mekugi-ana, mumei. 『Horimono』 Omote: Futasuji-hi with Bonji and suken kakinagasu. Ura: Futasuji-hi with Bonji and koshi-hi kakinagasu. 『Tsuke』 Shirasaya 『Size』 Nagasa (Blade length): 68.3cm, Sori: 2.8cm, Motohaba (Width of moto): 2.9cm, Sakihaba (Width of saki): 1.7cm, Motokasane (Thickness of moto): 0.82cm, Sakikasane (Thickness of saki): 0.43cm
NihontoWatchden · Aoe · Kamakura · nagasa 68.3cm · sori 2.8cm
Bizen-den · Bitchu
8 pieces on the market now
The Chu-Aoe school represents the middle and culminating phase of the Aoe tradition of Bitchu Province, encompassing smiths active from the late Kamakura period through the Nanbokucho era. The lineage traces its origins to an ancient swordmaking heritage in the lower basin of the Takahashi River, a tradition already celebrated in the eleventh-century Shin Sarugakki, which counted "the swords of Bitchu" among the notable products of the provinces. Scholars conventionally distinguish earlier Ko-Aoe production, extending through the mid-Kamakura period, from the Chu-Aoe and later Sue-Aoe phases that carried the tradition forward. The name Sadatsugu -- transmitted since the Kanchiin-bon Meizukushi as one of the goban-kaji appointed to serve Retired Emperor Gotoba and accorded the highest valuation in the Shinkan Hiden-sho[[c:1]] -- stands as the school's most prestigious lineage name, while Yoshitsugu, Naotsugu, Tsunetsugu, and Hidetsugu represent the principal working smiths whose signed and dated examples anchor the chronology of the late Kamakura Aoe group. With the transition into the Nanbokucho period, a second flowering emerged under Tsugunao, Tsuguyoshi, and Moritsugu, who are consistently identified by the NBTHK as the representative smiths of Aoe in that era. The technical identity of Chu-Aoe is defined by a constellation of traits that recur with remarkable consistency across the school's members. The forging characteristically displays tightly packed ko-itame-hada mixed with mokume, upon which extremely fine ji-nie adheres thickly and delicate chikei are interwoven. A mottled, patch-like jifu texture frequently appears, and the distinctive crepe-like surface known as chirimen-hada is encountered among several smiths. Most diagnostic of all is the school's utsuri, which manifests in multiple forms: midare-utsuri, the stepped dan-utsuri in which linear utsuri near the edge transitions to midare-utsuri toward the mune, and the dark-toned sumihada. The hamon is fundamentally suguha-based, ranging from narrow hoso-suguha to medium chu-suguha with shallow notare, into which ko-gunome, ko-choji, and saka-ashi are mixed. The nioiguchi is universally described as tight, bright, and clear -- the single most defining quality of the school -- producing a deep shio-ai that is repeatedly praised in NBTHK assessments.
The boshi characteristically runs straight, turning back in ko-maru with a tendency toward a pointed tip. A critical stylistic evolution occurred within the Nanbokucho period: while the late Kamakura smiths worked predominantly in suguha, the later generation developed a splendid, flamboyant saka-choji-midare that became the school's most celebrated mode. Tsugunao is recognized as "a master of saka-choji," producing tempering of such florid brilliance that the NBTHK characterizes it as "the exclusive forte of this group"[[c:2]] -- an emblematic and highly individual domain. The reverse-slanting tendencies visible in earlier Kamakura-period works are understood as precursors to this splendid later development. The Chu-Aoe school occupies a position of enduring prestige within the Japanese sword canon. The Hon'ami family developed a longstanding practice of rendering Sadatsugu appraisals for unsigned Aoe works of particularly fine workmanship, treating the name as a mark of the highest quality within the tradition. Naotsugu and Yoshitsugu, whose signed examples bearing official court titles and era dates from Gentoku through Kanno survive in exceptional condition, furnish irreplaceable documentary material for the study of Bitchu swordmaking. Works from the school have been transmitted through distinguished collections -- the Choshu Mori, the Nabeshima of Hizen, the Uesugi, and the Maeda of Kaga -- attesting to sustained appreciation across centuries. Naotsugu occupies a pivotal position at the transition from the ko-nie-deki manner of the Kamakura period to the tighter, brighter nioi-deki workmanship of the Nanbokucho era, while Moritsugu's rare surviving works bridge the late Kamakura and early Nanbokucho phases with tanto displaying both the traditional suguha and a saka-choji not previously encountered in the school. In both the quiet restraint of their suguha and the gorgeous brilliance of their saka-choji-midare, the smiths of Chu-Aoe demonstrate the Bitchu tradition at its most refined and accomplished -- a school whose tightly forged steel, luminous nioiguchi, and distinctive utsuri constitute an aesthetic achievement of the first order. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Tsugunao次直 | 1345-1361 | 25 |
| Naotsugu直次 | 1335-1364 | 15 |
| Yoshitsugu吉次 | 1326-1332 | 17 |
| Moritsugu守次 | 1356-1361 | 9 |
| Tsuguyoshi次吉 | 1338-1358 | 19 |
Kamakura was Bizen’s summit. Tradition places Ichimonji smiths among Go-Toba’s goban kaji, Mitsutada founded the Osafune line at mid-century, and orders flowed from the court and the warrior government alike. No province holds more National Treasure blades.
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 siteWhen the item reaches you, please check immediately for damage and that it matches your order. We bear the shipping cost for a return; please send it freight-collect. Costs other than the item price cannot be refunded.
