This is a katana by Hirotsugu, a swordsmith from Sagami province who worked during the mid-Muromachi period. The blade features a flamboyant all-over (皆焼) hamon and comes with both koshirae and shirasaya, with the koshirae also having a Tokubetsu Hozon paper. The fittings of the koshirae are decorated with tiger motifs.
NihontoWatchBETAmei · Soshu · Muromachi · nagasa 64.7cm · sori 2.3cm
Soshu-den · Sagami · around 1469-1487
Fujishiro Jo saku · Tōken Taikan top 37%
1 piece on the market now
Hirotsugu was a swordsmith who resided in Kamakura in Sagami Province, working within the Soshu-den tradition. Sword reference works place the first generation in the Kenmu era; however, among extant works none can be traced back earlier than the mid-Muromachi period, and he is accordingly regarded as a representative Soshu smith of the late Muromachi period. Smiths of particularly high technical ability are known from around the Meio era, and there are also examples bearing Tenbun-era date inscriptions signed "Sunshu Shimada-ju," establishing a connection to Suruga Province. A wakizashi in the Imperial Collection dated Meio 9 (1500) represents the oldest firmly dated example.
Hirotsugu's workmanship is characterized by bold, vigorous construction with wide mihaba and extended kissaki. The kitae is itame-hada mixed with mokume, frequently showing a tendency toward standing grain, with thickly adhering ji-nie and abundant chikei. The hamon is generally yakidaka, mixing gunome with choji, togariba, and yahazu-gata elements within a notare ground. With tobiyaki and muneyaki intermingled, the tempering develops into hitatsura of striking force, accompanied by frequent kinsuji and sunagashi and a bright nioiguchi. The NBTHK observes that at first glance such work "produces a strongly nie-laden, powerful hitatsura that calls to mind the Hasebe school of the Nanbokucho period." Several blades also display faint utsuri, and the boshi is characteristically deep, often finished ichimai with hakikake.
Hirotsugu's finest pieces are consistently praised for the vigor and completeness of their hitatsura, with both ji and ha richly covered in nie. The execution is described as forceful even into the boshi, and the horimono on certain examples -- including kurikara and bonji carvings -- are called "splendid." The NBTHK notes that from these qualities "Hirotsugu's high level of technique is readily discerned," and the best works rank among the finest achievements of late Soshu craftsmanship.
Where Hirotsugu 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.
Soshu-den · Sagami
Phase: Sue-Sōshū末相州· 1356–1868
18 pieces on the market now
When the great Kamakura masters had passed and the country slid into the wars of the late Muromachi, a residual Soshu-den held on in Sagami under a new patron. The Later Hojo, ruling from Odawara castle, kept smiths at hand, and it was from this orbit that the leading name of the window emerged: Tsunahiro, transmitted as a retained smith of the Odawara Hojo who took the character tsuna from Hojo Ujitsuna. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Fusamune總宗 | 1504-1521 | 5 |
| Tsunahiro綱廣 | 1532-1555 | 12 |
| Hiromasa廣正 | 1444-1456 | 4 |
| Kiyohira清平 | 1673-1681 | 4 |
| Tsunaie綱家 | 1532-1555 | 3 |
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 is a katana by Hirotsugu, a swordsmith from Sagami province who worked during the mid-Muromachi period. The blade features a flamboyant all-over (皆焼) hamon and comes with both koshirae and shirasaya, with the koshirae also having a Tokubetsu Hozon paper. The fittings of the koshirae are decorated with tiger motifs.
NihontoWatchBETAmei · Soshu · Muromachi · nagasa 64.7cm · sori 2.3cm
Soshu-den · Sagami · around 1469-1487
Fujishiro Jo saku · Tōken Taikan top 37%
1 piece on the market now
Hirotsugu was a swordsmith who resided in Kamakura in Sagami Province, working within the Soshu-den tradition. Sword reference works place the first generation in the Kenmu era; however, among extant works none can be traced back earlier than the mid-Muromachi period, and he is accordingly regarded as a representative Soshu smith of the late Muromachi period. Smiths of particularly high technical ability are known from around the Meio era, and there are also examples bearing Tenbun-era date inscriptions signed "Sunshu Shimada-ju," establishing a connection to Suruga Province. A wakizashi in the Imperial Collection dated Meio 9 (1500) represents the oldest firmly dated example.
Hirotsugu's workmanship is characterized by bold, vigorous construction with wide mihaba and extended kissaki. The kitae is itame-hada mixed with mokume, frequently showing a tendency toward standing grain, with thickly adhering ji-nie and abundant chikei. The hamon is generally yakidaka, mixing gunome with choji, togariba, and yahazu-gata elements within a notare ground. With tobiyaki and muneyaki intermingled, the tempering develops into hitatsura of striking force, accompanied by frequent kinsuji and sunagashi and a bright nioiguchi. The NBTHK observes that at first glance such work "produces a strongly nie-laden, powerful hitatsura that calls to mind the Hasebe school of the Nanbokucho period." Several blades also display faint utsuri, and the boshi is characteristically deep, often finished ichimai with hakikake.
Hirotsugu's finest pieces are consistently praised for the vigor and completeness of their hitatsura, with both ji and ha richly covered in nie. The execution is described as forceful even into the boshi, and the horimono on certain examples -- including kurikara and bonji carvings -- are called "splendid." The NBTHK notes that from these qualities "Hirotsugu's high level of technique is readily discerned," and the best works rank among the finest achievements of late Soshu craftsmanship.
Where Hirotsugu 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.
Soshu-den · Sagami
Phase: Sue-Sōshū末相州· 1356–1868
18 pieces on the market now
When the great Kamakura masters had passed and the country slid into the wars of the late Muromachi, a residual Soshu-den held on in Sagami under a new patron. The Later Hojo, ruling from Odawara castle, kept smiths at hand, and it was from this orbit that the leading name of the window emerged: Tsunahiro, transmitted as a retained smith of the Odawara Hojo who took the character tsuna from Hojo Ujitsuna. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Fusamune總宗 | 1504-1521 | 5 |
| Tsunahiro綱廣 | 1532-1555 | 12 |
| Hiromasa廣正 | 1444-1456 | 4 |
| Kiyohira清平 | 1673-1681 | 4 |
| Tsunaie綱家 | 1532-1555 | 3 |
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.
