Edo was the sword’s age of connoisseurship: the Hon’ami appraisers, the shogunal register of famous blades of 1719, and a thriving literature turned the sword into an object of study even as it ceased to be drawn in war.
NihontoWatchNihontoWatchIehira was a member of the Darani school and the son of the first generation Ietada. Along with Kashu Ju Kanewaka, Kashu Ju Fujiwara Ietada, and Kashu Ju Fujiwara Kiyomitsu, he is a swordsmith highly evaluated as a representative figure of the Kaga smiths who supported the Maeda family for generations. Due to the early death of his older brother, he succeeded the family headship to become the second generation Iehira, and his skill was said to be the highest among Kaga swordsmiths, to the extent that he was praised alongside his father, Ietada; he later changed his mei to Kunihira. Regarding hamon, he specialized in nioi-shimari gunome or those based on suguha. There are few dated works among Kaga Shinto, and therefore research on them feels stagnant, but this work can be called an extremely precious resource for the study of Kaga Shinto. This wakizashi has a wide mihaba for its hacho and a grand taihai with an extended kissaki; the jitetsu is mainly masame with ji-nie, well-defined chikei, and is slightly hadadachi; the hamon is based on notare with a bright and clear nioiguchi mixed with gunome, the habuchi is covered in sunagashi and rich in variety with kuichigai-style ha, and the habuchi entwined with the masame gives an impression like torn Japanese paper; within the ha there are ashi and kinsuji appear, and the boshi is sugu with a maru kaeri, making it rich in highlights. Looking at the shape of the fuchi-kashira seen on the accompanying koshirae, it suggests that it is an Owari koshirae. Among the sashiryo of the Owari Tokugawa retainers, many works with grand and heavy tsukurikomi like this wakizashi are seen, and this work can be perceived as belonging to that lineage. There is no rattling in the tsuka, and the tsuba is a superior item made of an ita-tsuba with good tetsu-aji, skillfully carving a chozubachi, hishaku, and sasa design in shakudo and gold, with a nawame pattern applied to the mimi, resulting in a simple yet high-class tailoring. It is conjectured that a metallic kurigata was originally attached, but it is currently missing, and the sageo is passed through with shitodome attached to the wood base. In addition to its value as a work by the Kaga Shinto master Iehira (Kunihira), this wakizashi, which possesses the possibility of being an Owari koshirae, can be called an extremely noteworthy work from both the perspectives of collecting and research. Passed Tokubetsu Hozon Token Kantei in the September 2025 examination.
Offered by Toushin
2 on the market
As written by the shop
Machine translation from the shop's Japanese · may contain errors ·
Kaga · around 1661-1673
Fujishiro Chu-jo saku · Tōken Taikan top 76%
2 pieces on the market now
The Edo period (1615 to 1868)
Edo was the sword’s age of connoisseurship: the Hon’ami appraisers, the shogunal register of famous blades of 1719, and a thriving literature turned the sword into an object of study even as it ceased to be drawn in war.
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 siteAs a rule we do not accept returns, except when we have sent a different item from the one ordered or when there is a significant discrepancy between the description and the item. If you wish to return an item, please contact us within 3 days of its arrival and then send it back.
¥660,000