NihontoWatchMinamoto Moriyoshi, whose real name was Tanigawa Matsukichi, is the most famous swordsmith of the modern era who was said to be a master of Kiyomaro-utsushi. (Mukansa tosho, Prefectural Designated Intangible Cultural Property Holder) Born in Taisho 9 (1920). He was a swordsmith of Yatsushiro City in Kumamoto and signed his mei as Minamoto Moriyoshi, Hishu Yatsushiro Minamoto Moriyoshi, and so on. He exhibited continuously from the 1st Sakuto Gijutsu Happyokai, raised his reputation with Minamoto Kiyomaro-utsushi, and became a Mukansa tosho in Showa 60 (1985). Leaving behind powerful Soshu-den masterpieces and numerous famous works, he unfortunately passed away at the age of seventy in Heisei 2 (1990). The taihai of this work has a hacho of 1 shaku 6 sun 2 bu half. The taihai is a wakizashi in a sharp hira-zukuri sugata with a wide mihaba at the moto and saki, a slightly thin kasane, and a moderate sori. The jigane is ko-itame hada with ji-nie, presenting a well-kneaded and powerful kitae. The hamon is gunome-midare in ko-nie deki with variations in height, and inside the ha there are kinsuji in places, with ashi and yo entering; it is a yakiba overflowing with the powerful feeling of this smith that is bright and clear. The boshi follows the momentum of the yakiba, midare-komi and returning in ko-maru. A single sword rich in the ambition of the Mukansa tosho Minamoto Moriyoshi. A masterpiece among his works, firing a hamon like a surging wave characteristic of this smith on a powerful kitae. I believe it is likely a tomo-uchi with a tachi that was an award-winning work at the Shinsaku Meito Ten.
Offered by World Seiyudo
9 on the market
Machine translation from the shop's Japanese · may contain errors ·
Kumamoto · around 1926-1989
9 pieces on the market now
Shōwa to the present: destruction and revival
The twentieth century nearly killed the craft twice: wartime distortion, then the occupation ban. The NBTHK’s founding in 1948 and licensed forging from 1953 rebuilt the sword as an art, crowned by Living National Treasures and the mukansa rank.
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 siteNo cooling-off period or returns; refund only if the purchased sword is proven fake, capped at purchase price (excludes commission sales, accessories, auction items).
¥1,200,000