Edo was the sword’s age of connoisseurship: the Hon’ami appraisers, the shogunal register of famous blades of 1719, and a thriving literature turned the sword into an object of study even as it ceased to be drawn in war.
This is a katana attributed to Aizu Kanesada, a smith from the Aizu school in Mutsu province, active around the Horeki era (mid-18th century). It comes with a beautiful hantachi koshirae featuring iron fittings with a sennin (immortal) motif. The blade exhibits a strong koshi-zori, itame jigane, and a gunome hamon with nie and sunagashi.
NihontoWatchden · Aizu · Bunsei-Ansei (1818-1860) · nagasa 69.6cm · sori 2.2cm
Mino-den · Iwashiro
7 pieces on the market now
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Kanesada兼定 | 1818-1869 | 0 |
| Kanesada兼定 | 1624-1644 | 0 |
| Kanesada兼定 | 1624-1644 | 0 |
| Kanesada兼定 | 1655-1658 | 0 |
| Kanesada兼定 | 1661-1673 | 0 |
The Edo period (1615 to 1868)
Edo was the sword’s age of connoisseurship: the Hon’ami appraisers, the shogunal register of famous blades of 1719, and a thriving literature turned the sword into an object of study even as it ceased to be drawn in war.
We could not find an authenticity certificate on the seller’s listing. Japanese swords and fittings are normally papered by the NBTHK (or the NTHK). Without one, the attribution is the seller’s own assessment and has not been independently verified — treat it with caution and ask the dealer about certification before buying.
