It has appeared, it has appeared! An amazing masterpiece wakizashi by Hirotsugu with Soshu-bori, featuring a shozi-mei (possession inscription) of Nagao Kageaki, one of Uesugi Kenshin’s Twenty-Five Generals. Nagao Kageaki was highly praised for his loyalty and, as a top-ranking karo of the Uesugi family, achieved great military distinction in the five Battles of Kawanakajima, greatly assisting Uesugi Kenshin. This is a masterpiece wakizashi by Hirotsugu bearing the shozi-mei of that very Nagao Kageaki. Following the admired Soshu Masamune and Sadamune, Soshu-ju Hirotsugu is a famous Soshu smith lineage continuing from the Nanbokucho period. This wakizashi is a work by Hirotsugu from the middle Muromachi period, dated Meio 5 (1496) (529 years ago). The sugata remains kenzen even now, displaying a shape with a difference between the moto-mihaba and saki-mihaba and a shallow sori. The jigane shows the itame-hada and mokume-hada unique to the Soshu-den, with abundant jinie and chikei appearing on the ji. The magnificent Soshu-bori is deep-cut, kenzen, and features "standing scales"; the omote has futasu-hi with a shin-no-kenmakiryu (true dragon coiled around a sword), and the ura has futasu-hi with a shin-no-ryu (true dragon) carving, showing high skill. The hamon is a gunome-midare-ba with tobiyaki in the ji, and within the ha, the itame and mokume of the jitetsu's kitae-hada appear with many kinsuji, showing wonderful haki. Soshu swords are works of longing for sword enthusiasts. Please enjoy this work by a Soshu smith with carvings that one wishes to own at least once—furthermore, a precious masterpiece wakizashi by the Soshu smith Hirotsugu with the shozi-mei of Nagao Kageaki, one of Uesugi Kenshin's Twenty-Five Generals.
Certificate reading — 銘 景秋 広次作 明応五年丙辰八月日
NihontoWatchBETAMeio (1492-1501) · nagasa 53.8cm · sori 0.9cm
Soshu-den · Sagami · around 1492-1501
Fujishiro Jo saku
2 pieces on the market now
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 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.
It has appeared, it has appeared! An amazing masterpiece wakizashi by Hirotsugu with Soshu-bori, featuring a shozi-mei (possession inscription) of Nagao Kageaki, one of Uesugi Kenshin’s Twenty-Five Generals. Nagao Kageaki was highly praised for his loyalty and, as a top-ranking karo of the Uesugi family, achieved great military distinction in the five Battles of Kawanakajima, greatly assisting Uesugi Kenshin. This is a masterpiece wakizashi by Hirotsugu bearing the shozi-mei of that very Nagao Kageaki. Following the admired Soshu Masamune and Sadamune, Soshu-ju Hirotsugu is a famous Soshu smith lineage continuing from the Nanbokucho period. This wakizashi is a work by Hirotsugu from the middle Muromachi period, dated Meio 5 (1496) (529 years ago). The sugata remains kenzen even now, displaying a shape with a difference between the moto-mihaba and saki-mihaba and a shallow sori. The jigane shows the itame-hada and mokume-hada unique to the Soshu-den, with abundant jinie and chikei appearing on the ji. The magnificent Soshu-bori is deep-cut, kenzen, and features "standing scales"; the omote has futasu-hi with a shin-no-kenmakiryu (true dragon coiled around a sword), and the ura has futasu-hi with a shin-no-ryu (true dragon) carving, showing high skill. The hamon is a gunome-midare-ba with tobiyaki in the ji, and within the ha, the itame and mokume of the jitetsu's kitae-hada appear with many kinsuji, showing wonderful haki. Soshu swords are works of longing for sword enthusiasts. Please enjoy this work by a Soshu smith with carvings that one wishes to own at least once—furthermore, a precious masterpiece wakizashi by the Soshu smith Hirotsugu with the shozi-mei of Nagao Kageaki, one of Uesugi Kenshin's Twenty-Five Generals.
Certificate reading — 銘 景秋 広次作 明応五年丙辰八月日
NihontoWatchBETAMeio (1492-1501) · nagasa 53.8cm · sori 0.9cm
Soshu-den · Sagami · around 1492-1501
Fujishiro Jo saku
2 pieces on the market now
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 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.
