Two courts, sixty years of war, and the most dramatic silhouettes in the sword’s history: broad blades, extended points, true ōdachi later cut down into the majestic katana collectors prize. The Sōshū manner was the style of the age.
NihontoWatchNihontoWatchProudly listed by: Samurai Store, Inc. JAPAN Delivery Time: 3-4 weeks We Ship Worldwide via EMS / UPS Item# T1053 Antique Katana sword in ornate mountings Swordsmith: SADAMORI Special Offer! Free Wooden Display Sword DELUXE Comes with this item for FREE A complete set of antique Katana long sword and ornate mounting. The blade was made by the smith SADAMORI in Shohei period (1340's). No inscription on tang but this beautiful blade is registered as Hozon paper "Preservation Sword" by NBTHK (Japan Sword Preservation Society). The blade has beautiful stray straight tempered line pattern. The blade comes in also very beautiful ornate mounting finished with extremely beautiful Tsuba guard designed with openwork. Shirazaya wooden holder comes with. The blade comes with a Certificate of NBTHK Japan Sword Preservation Society - HOZON Tohken (Preserved Blade) Blade Specifications: Blade Material : Authentic Forged & Polished Steel Blade Inscription : No engraves on tang Swordsmith : Takada SADAMORI Smith Location : Chikuzen (Fukuoka pref.) Age : Shohei period, Nambokucho era (1340's) Tempered Line Pattern : Stray Straight Blade Length: 73.4cm Curvature ( Sori ): 2.0cm Rivet Holes: 2 KOSHIRAE Ornate Mountings: Tsuba Hand guard: Iron Openwork Samekawa Ray Skin: White Fuchi Pommel: Copper/Gold Kashira Pommel at base: Copper/Gold Saya scabbard: Black Urushi finish Menuki Hilt Ornament: Gold Dragon Shirasaya Wooden Holder: Included Also Comes With: Standard Sword Bag Secure & Full-Insured Shipping Worldwide Where We Ship To This item can be surely shipped to the proven destinations: United States, Canada, Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Italy, Netherland, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Austria, Malta, Hungary, Bulgaria, Estonia, Czech, Slovakia, UAE, South Africa, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Puerto Rico, Paraguay, Peru, Colombia, & Argentina. Other Countries: There is a possibility that it can be delivered to other
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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 Nanbokuchō period (1333 to 1392)
Two courts, sixty years of war, and the most dramatic silhouettes in the sword’s history: broad blades, extended points, true ōdachi later cut down into the majestic katana collectors prize. The Sōshū manner was the style of the age.
Certifies a genuine blade worth preserving: a signature confirmed correct, or, if unsigned, an era, province, and school that the NBTHK can reliably identify.
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.