Weight: 1047g (excluding saya) It has arrived, it has arrived—a precious wazamono katana by Fujiwara Kuniyuki of Bungo has arrived. Since olden times, Kuniyuki's swords were so skillfully made that they rivaled the works of the master smiths of Hizen. It is a precious meito by Fujiwara Kuniyuki, of whom it is said that his works were so excellent they were often re-signed (gimei) in later generations as masterpieces by Hizen no Kuni Omi Daijo Tadahiro or Hizen no Kuni Mutsu no Kami Tadayoshi. The swordsmith Fujiwara Kuniyuki received the title of Yamato no Daijo, and there are works where he signed his mei as "Bungo Funai-ju Yamato no Daijo Fujiwara Kuniyuki." During the Kanbun era of the Edo period (circa 1661, 365 years ago), he resided in Funai, Bungo (modern-day central Oita City). Bungo Funai was originally the site of the 120,000-koku Funai Castle (Oita Castle, a "sea castle"), which later became the jinya of the Matsudaira clan, a fudai daimyo; there, swordsmiths demonstrated their great skill producing swords within the castle town. This katana is a tokubetsu chumon-hin (special order item) suited for nukiuchi (quick-draw). Its sugata features a wide motohaba with a significant difference at the sakihaba and shallow sori, exhibiting the typical Kanbun Shinto style of the period, similar to the works of Kotetsu in Edo. The jigane is a finely packed ko-itame hada with ji-nie, resulting in a konuka-hada with chikei, forged into a powerful steel. The hamon is a spirited nioi-deki with ko-nie, a suguha-tone temper line synchronized with the style of Hizen no Kuni Omi Daijo Tadahiro, consistently and skillfully baked from the moto to the saki. The Edo-period koshirae further adds splendor to this Fujiwara Kuniyuki katana. This Kuniyuki katana has been cherished for generations by an old family in its local Oita Prefecture. As they have grown old, they have entrusted it to us, asking that this 360-year-old sword be passed on at an affordable price to someone who will treasure it. Therefore, we are offering it at a special discount price. Please enjoy this precious meito by the renowned master smith Bungo-ju Yamato no Daijo Fujiwara Kuniyuki.
NihontoWatchBETAsigned · Shinto · nagasa 64.1cm · sori 1.2cm
Bizen-den · Bungo · around 1661-1673
Fujishiro Chu-jo saku · Tōken Taikan top 87%
3 pieces on the market now
Bizen-den · Bungo
40 pieces on the market now
In Bungo Province on Kyushu, the early Kamakura masters Sadahide and Yukihira appeared and then, for a span, distinguished makers ceased; the setsumei repeatedly mark this gap before the line that became the Takada school took hold. The school was founded in the Nanbokuchō period by Tomoyuki, who arose at Takada Manor (Takada-shō) and signed in the long form "Hōshū Takada-shō Fujiwara Tomoyuki," with dated work surviving from the Shōhei (1349) and Jōji eras into the 1360s. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Tomoyuki友行 | 1350-1367 | 15 |
| Kunifusa國房 | 1615-1624 | 5 |
| Akiyuki鑑行 | 1532-1555 | 0 |
| Kagenari景也 | 1661-1673 | 0 |
| Chikayuki及行 | 1661-1673 | 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 siteFor returns due to customer circumstances, the cost is the customer's responsibility. For returns due to our mis-shipment or a defective item, we bear the cost.
Weight: 1047g (excluding saya) It has arrived, it has arrived—a precious wazamono katana by Fujiwara Kuniyuki of Bungo has arrived. Since olden times, Kuniyuki's swords were so skillfully made that they rivaled the works of the master smiths of Hizen. It is a precious meito by Fujiwara Kuniyuki, of whom it is said that his works were so excellent they were often re-signed (gimei) in later generations as masterpieces by Hizen no Kuni Omi Daijo Tadahiro or Hizen no Kuni Mutsu no Kami Tadayoshi. The swordsmith Fujiwara Kuniyuki received the title of Yamato no Daijo, and there are works where he signed his mei as "Bungo Funai-ju Yamato no Daijo Fujiwara Kuniyuki." During the Kanbun era of the Edo period (circa 1661, 365 years ago), he resided in Funai, Bungo (modern-day central Oita City). Bungo Funai was originally the site of the 120,000-koku Funai Castle (Oita Castle, a "sea castle"), which later became the jinya of the Matsudaira clan, a fudai daimyo; there, swordsmiths demonstrated their great skill producing swords within the castle town. This katana is a tokubetsu chumon-hin (special order item) suited for nukiuchi (quick-draw). Its sugata features a wide motohaba with a significant difference at the sakihaba and shallow sori, exhibiting the typical Kanbun Shinto style of the period, similar to the works of Kotetsu in Edo. The jigane is a finely packed ko-itame hada with ji-nie, resulting in a konuka-hada with chikei, forged into a powerful steel. The hamon is a spirited nioi-deki with ko-nie, a suguha-tone temper line synchronized with the style of Hizen no Kuni Omi Daijo Tadahiro, consistently and skillfully baked from the moto to the saki. The Edo-period koshirae further adds splendor to this Fujiwara Kuniyuki katana. This Kuniyuki katana has been cherished for generations by an old family in its local Oita Prefecture. As they have grown old, they have entrusted it to us, asking that this 360-year-old sword be passed on at an affordable price to someone who will treasure it. Therefore, we are offering it at a special discount price. Please enjoy this precious meito by the renowned master smith Bungo-ju Yamato no Daijo Fujiwara Kuniyuki.
NihontoWatchBETAsigned · Shinto · nagasa 64.1cm · sori 1.2cm
Bizen-den · Bungo · around 1661-1673
Fujishiro Chu-jo saku · Tōken Taikan top 87%
3 pieces on the market now
Bizen-den · Bungo
40 pieces on the market now
In Bungo Province on Kyushu, the early Kamakura masters Sadahide and Yukihira appeared and then, for a span, distinguished makers ceased; the setsumei repeatedly mark this gap before the line that became the Takada school took hold. The school was founded in the Nanbokuchō period by Tomoyuki, who arose at Takada Manor (Takada-shō) and signed in the long form "Hōshū Takada-shō Fujiwara Tomoyuki," with dated work surviving from the Shōhei (1349) and Jōji eras into the 1360s. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Tomoyuki友行 | 1350-1367 | 15 |
| Kunifusa國房 | 1615-1624 | 5 |
| Akiyuki鑑行 | 1532-1555 | 0 |
| Kagenari景也 | 1661-1673 | 0 |
| Chikayuki及行 | 1661-1673 | 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 siteFor returns due to customer circumstances, the cost is the customer's responsibility. For returns due to our mis-shipment or a defective item, we bear the cost.
