Muromachi turned sword making into an industry: the uchigatana rose with massed infantry warfare, Osafune and Seki produced bundle swords beside custom orders, and the Ming trade carried Japanese blades abroad by the tens of thousands.
NihontoWatchNihontoWatchJust a Part of Our Huge Collection. Samurai Store now has over 100 katana swords in storage and at our warehouses. Please get in touch with us via WhatsApp or Email and tell us what you want! Proudly listed by: Samurai Store, Inc. JAPAN 3-5 weeks for the export permit to be granted. We Ship Worldwide via EMS / UPS / Surface Item# TS007 Antique Katana sword in Ornate Mounting Muromachi Era (Bunmei period, 1460-1480s) NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon certificated ( Extremely Well Preserved certificate) Swordsmith: MORITSUGU A quality Katana sword from SAMURAI STORE Tokyo . Antique Katana with a long blade, made by the swordsmith MORITSUGU of the Kongo-Byouei school, located in the Chikuzen domain during the Muromachi period, around 1460-1480. The smith's name is inscribed on the blade tang. Stunningly beautiful straight tempered line pattern with Midare-Choji irregular small zig-zag pattern, with a bunch of Nie (coarser-grain martensite on the tempered line) and some Ashi (small notches). This blade was certified as a TOKUBETSU Hozon paper "Extremely Well-Preserved Sword" by NBTHK (Japan Sword Preservation Society), a higher-ranking certificate than the standard. Smith's name is inscribed on the tang. Comes in a complete set of antique, ornate mounting, including all metal fittings and an open-work Tsuba hand guard, which are believed to be from the mid-late Edo period. The blade comes with a Certificate of NBTHK Japan Sword Preservation Society - Tokubetsu Hozon Paper (Extremely Well-preserved sword) BLADE: Authority/Registration# Tokyo-327796 *This number means that the blade is verified and registered as an authentic Japanese sword by the board of education and public safety commission. Blade Material : Authentic Forged & Polished Steel Blade Inscription : Smith's name Inscription (back): - Smith school: MORITSUGU 盛次 (certified) Smith Location : Chikuzen (Fukuoka) Age : Muromachi era (Bunmei part) 1460-1480s Tempered Line Pattern : Stray straight with Midare-Choji zig-zag wit
NihontoWatchKongobyoe School金剛兵衛派
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Wakimono · Chikuzen
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The Kongōbyōe school (Kongōbyōe-ha) flourished in Chikuzen Province during the Nanbokuchō period alongside the more celebrated Samonji lineage. Based in the Reizen district, the school takes its name from the artisan Kongōbyōe, though signed examples are exceedingly rare, with the earliest documented work being a tantō by Sadamori dated Shōhei 25 (1370) and designated an Important Art Object. This blade's signature—"Chikushū Reizen Sadamori"[[c:1]]—confirms the school's geographic center and provides a stylistic benchmark for attributions within the tradition. Kongōbyōe blades exhibit a distinctive Yamato temperament (Yamato kishitsu) in both jigane and hamon, setting them apart from typical Kyūshū productions. The forging characteristically combines large itame with nagare-hada and prominent mokume-hada, creating surface texture that stands out conspicuously. The jigane tends toward a dark, slightly blackish tone with frequent chikei interwoven throughout.
The hamon is invariably a narrow suguha or hoso-suguha, occasionally tinged with shallow notare or small gunome inflections. The nioiguchi displays a characteristic tight feeling (shimari-gokoro) with well-adhering ko-nie, while modest kinsuji and sunagashi create refined scenery spanning ji and ha. Near the cutting edge, nagare-hada often transitions to masame, and hotsure appears along the habuchi. The school's output demonstrates what period connoisseurs termed "metal flavor" (kanamono), reflecting Kyūshū forging traditions while maintaining the refined sensibility of Yamato technique. Extant works attributed to Ko-Kongōbyōe typically survive as greatly shortened (ō-suriage) blades with Nanbokuchō proportions—wide mihaba, shallow sori, and ō-kissaki—presenting dignified, powerful forms despite their modified state. The combination of dark-toned jigane densely filled with fine chikei, tight nioiguchi, and restrained nie activity creates a sober yet engaging aesthetic that distinguishes the school within the broader Chikuzen tradition. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Sadamori貞盛 | 1345-1350 | 23 |
| Morimitsu盛光 | 1558-1570 | 0 |
| Moriyasu盛安 | 1532-1555 | 0 |
| Moriyoshi盛吉 | 1532-1555 | 0 |
| Morihisa盛久 | 1521-1528 | 0 |
The Muromachi period (1392 to 1573)
Muromachi turned sword making into an industry: the uchigatana rose with massed infantry warfare, Osafune and Seki produced bundle swords beside custom orders, and the Ming trade carried Japanese blades abroad by the tens of thousands.
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 siteReturns accepted only for errors/damage: damaged or incorrect items reported by email within 10 calendar days; defective goods within 30 calendar days.