Tachi Mounting with Autumn Grasses in Black Lacquer. Tachi Signature: Bungo no Kuni Yukihira saku
(Akikusa-mon Kurourushi Tachi Koshirae. Tachi Mei Bungo no Kuni Yukihira Saku)
Designation
Important Cultural Property
Artist
Sword / Yukihira of Bungo Province
Country
Japan
Period
Mounting/ Muromachi period (16th century)
Tachi/ Early Kamakura period (13th century)
Features
Mounting/ Itomaki‑tachi mounting
Tachi/ Shinogi‑zukuri; forged
Number
1 set
Dimensions
Mounting/ Overall length: 122.0 cm
Tachi/ Hacho(blade length): 76.6 cm, Sori (curvature): 3.6 cm
Description
The kuro‑urushi tachi mounting is finished entirely in black lacquer, covering the scabbard, hilt, and metal fittings. This type of mounting was among the most common practical styles used from the Heian through the Muromachi periods. The scabbard is decorated with a large crescent moon in silver inlay, the tsuba is a round iron plate, and the metal fittings are of blackened shakudo engraved with delicate autumn grasses. The hilt and watarimaki are wrapped with golden‑brown cord. This mounting is traditionally associated with the warlord Uesugi Kenshin and reflects the taste attributed to its owner. The blade enclosed is a work by Yukihira of Bungo Province, dating to the early Kamakura period.
Naginata Signature: Bizen no Kuni Osafune junin Nagamitsu zo
(Naginata mei Bizen no Kuni Osafune jūnin Nagamitsu zō
)
Designation
National Treasure
Artist
Nagamitsu
Country
Japan
Period
Kamakura period (13th century)
Features
Naginata‑zukuri; forged
Number
1
Dimensions
Hacho(blade length): 44.2 cm, Sori (curvature): 1.7 cm
Description
Nagamitsu was a leading swordsmith of the Osafune school in Bizen Province (present‑day Okayama Prefecture) during the Kamakura period. A son of Mitsutada, the founder of the Osafune tradition, he headed a major workshop and is known for leaving the largest number of signed works among smiths of his time. His style ranges from flamboyant chōji‑midare patterns reminiscent of his father’s work to more restrained gunome variations.
Naginata were practical weapons widely used from the Kamakura through the Muromachi periods, and because they were consumable arms for battlefield use, examples preserved in such excellent condition as this one are extremely rare. This piece was handed down in the Tsuyama Matsudaira family and was donated in 1988 by Sato Kanji.
Katana Gold-inlaid signature: Bizen no Kuni Kanemitsu / Hon'ami (kao)（Known as “Oo-Kanemitsu”）
(Katana Kinzougan-mei Bizen no Kuni Kanemitsu / Hon'ami (kaō) (Meibutsu Ō‑Kanemitsu)
Designation
Important Cultural Property
Artist
Kanemitsu
Country
Japan
Period
Nanbokucho period (14th century)
Features
Shinogi‑zukuri; forged
Number
1
Dimensions
Hacho(blade length): 83.5 cm, Sori (curvature): 2.3 cm
Description
Kanemitsu was a leading swordsmith of the fourth generation of the Osafune school in Bizen Province and one of the foremost masters of the Nanbokucho period. A son of Kagemitsu, he inherited and developed the family tradition. His early works resemble his father’s style, featuring kataochi‑gunome and choji patterns, but from the Enbun era (1356–1360) his style shifted dramatically toward large‑scaled o‑kissaki blades with sweeping notare reminiscent of Kamakura-period forms.
This blade is a representative example of his later style. Originally a massive tachi likely exceeding one meter in length, it displays exceptionally refined jigane and a serene, unbroken notare hamon distinct from the Kamakura tradition, demonstrating Kanemitsu’s technical mastery. The blade was later shortened (suriage) the Nakago, and a gold-inlaid inscription by Hon’ami Koon was added. It is recorded as a possession of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, later passing to Maeda Toshitsune and subsequently to the Tokugawa shogunal family.
Tanto Signature: Kunimitsu. Aikuchi mounting with gold nashiji ground and aoi crests
(Tantou Mei Kunimitsu Tsuketari Kinnashiji Aoi-mon Makie Aikuchi Koshirae)
Designation
Important Cultural Property
Artist
Kunimitsu (Shintogo)
Country
Japan
Period
Tanto / Kamakura period (13th century)
Mounting / Edo period
Features
Tanto/ Kanmuri‑otoshi‑zukuri; forged
Mounting / Gold nashiji lacquer; aikuchi mounting
Number
1 set
Dimensions
Tanto/ Hacho(blade length): 25.1 cm, Sori (curvature): slight inward curvature (uchi‑zori)
Mounting/ Overall length: 38.9 cm
Description
This tanto exemplifies the refined kanmuri‑otoshi‑zukuri form, executed with meticulous attention even to the tip of the Nakago. It displays a tense, straight suguha hamon and is regarded as one of the representative masterpieces of Shintogo Kunimitsu, a preeminent maker of tanto. Kunimitsu is considered the effective founder of the Kamakura tradition, with a dated work from 1293, and is traditionally regarded as the teacher of the famed Masamune. His lineage is thought to derive from the Kyo Awataguchi school.
The blade features a fine mokume jigane characteristic of the Awataguchi tradition, with brilliant nie sparkling across the surface. Rounded nie line the hamon, and vivid kinsuji streak through the interior of the temper, creating a work rich in the beauty of nie.
The accompanying aikuchi mounting, made in the late Edo period, has a gold nashiji lacquer scabbard decorated with aoi crests. It is fitted with a kozuka depicting the Kurikara dragon and menuki by Goto Mitsuyoshi, the fifteenth-generation master of the renowned Goto metalworking family. The piece was formerly in the collection of Hosokawa Moritatsu (1883–1970).
Katana Unsigned (attributed to Masamune)
(Katana Mumei Masamune)
Designation
Important Cultural Property
Artist
Masamune
Country
Japan
Period
Kamakura period (14th century)
Features
Shinogi‑zukuri; forged
Number
1
Dimensions
Hacho(blade length): 68.2 cm, Sori (curvature): 2.7 cm
Description
Masamune, active in the late Kamakura period, was a disciple of Shintogo Kunimitsu and is celebrated as one of the greatest swordsmiths in Japanese history. He pioneered a dynamic new style characterized by exquisitely refined jigane and a vigorous use of nie, profoundly influencing generations of later smiths. Many blades attributed to Masamune survive only in greatly shortened (o‑suriage) form, and this example is among them.
The blade displays a clear, bluish jigane of exceptional purity, with a broad, gently undulating notare hamon traditionally credited to Masamune’s innovation. Along the edge, nie forms a distinctive texture admired as “yuki no muragie” (“snow melting in patches”), while brilliant kinsuji and chikei animate the interior of the temper. The work combines serenity with latent power, hallmarks of Masamune’s mature style.
This sword was presented as a relic of Todo Takahisa and was received by Tokugawa Yoshimune when he served as lord of Kii. After Yoshimune became shogun, the blade was used as a ceremonial gift to celebrate the recovery of a young heir from smallpox, and it continued to serve in similar auspicious occasions for generations.
Katana Vermilion signature: Yoshihiro / Hon'a(kao) (Known as “Matsui‑Go”)
(Katana Shumei Yoshihiro / Hon'a (kaō) Meibutsu Matsui‑Gō)
Designation
Important Cultural Property
Artist
Yoshihiro
Country
Japan
Period
Kamakura period (14th century)
Features
Shinogi‑zukuri; forged
Number
1
Dimensions
Hacho (blade length): 69.4 cm, Sori (curvature): 1.6 cm
Description
Yoshihiro was a master swordsmith from Matsukura-go in Etchu Province and is traditionally regarded as a fellow disciple of Masamune. No signed blades by him survive in their original state, and only a very small number of works attributed to him are known today. His name appears in the Muromachi period sword manual Oujaku-sho, where a tang bearing his signature is illustrated, attesting to his early reputation as a master.
This blade features an exceptionally fine ko‑itame jigane of remarkable refinement, paired with a clear, straight suguha hamon. Rounded, luminous nie sparkle along the edge, giving the blade a serene yet brilliant presence. It is recorded in the Kyoho Meibutsu‑cho and is known as “Matsui‑Go,” named after Matsui Sado‑no‑kami, a senior retainer of the Hosokawa clan of Kumamoto, who once owned it.
The sword later entered the Tokugawa family when Tsuru‑hime, daughter of the fifth shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, presented it as a gift upon her marriage into the Kii branch of the Tokugawa house. The vermilion inscription on the Nakago was added by Hon'ami Kojo.
