The Yamato schools grew up in the shadow of Nara’s great monasteries: Tegai took its name from a gate of Tōdaiji. Their austere masame and quiet suguha are a temple aesthetic, prized ever since for exactly that restraint.
NihontoWatchNihontoWatchNagasa 39.65 cm Sori 0.84 cm Motohaba 27.5 mm Motokasane 6.5 mm Monouchi-haba 23.9 mm Monouchi-kasane 5.2 mm Yokote-position haba 22.4 mm Matsubasaki-kasane 4.9 mm Bare blade weight 363 grams. Kamakura makki The last years of Kamakura era Showa 55 May 22 Tokyo Registration Included: Hozon Token Kanteisho, Su-aka shitagai gin-gise uegai kin-gise habaki, shirasaya Among the five Yamato schools (Taima, Hosho, Tegai, Shikkake, Senjuin), the Shikkake school, with Norinaga as the de facto founder, was a greatly prosperous group of swordsmiths in what is now Kishida-cho, Tenri City, Nara Prefecture; the name Shikkake originates from the square stone pedestal (Shikkake-ishi) provided for the mikoshi of the Oyamato Jinja to rest upon. The de facto founder of the Shikkake school is said to be the first generation Norinaga, who is recorded as the son of Norihiro; works remain with gyonen-mei of 48 years of age in Bunpo 3 (1319) and 69 years of age in Ryakuo 3 (1340), and calculating backward from these, it can be seen that he was born in Bunei 9. Yamato-mono from this period often have extremely refined and beautiful jitetsu, and as characteristics of the Shikkake school, it can be noted that the shinogi is high, the shinogi-ji is wide, the itame has a nagare-gokoro, and while the hamon is based on suguha, small gunome are tempered in a continuous fashion. This sword is an o-suriage of a tachi or otachi, and from the taihai with a greatly extended kissaki, it is judged to be a work from the very end of the Kamakura era to the early Nanbokucho era; there are no flaws or defects worthy of special mention, and in the suguha with a bright and clear nioiguchi, there are hotsure-style blades mixed in that make one feel the Yamato temperament, with gunome and gunome-ashi also seen, making for a dekiguchi full of highlights despite being mumei. It will likely pass the Tokubetsu Hozon Token kantei easily. It is a famous sword that one would eventually want to aim for Juyo Token designation. . As it is currently attributed as Den Shikkake, if you apply for Tokubetsu Hozon Token kantei after performing a high-grade re-polishing, a change in the kiwame can also be expected. We also accept split payments via various credit cards and shopping loans. Please feel free to inquire.
Certificate reading — 無銘（尻懸）
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Machine translation from the shop's Japanese · may contain errors ·
Yamato-den · Yamato
10 pieces on the market now
The Shikkake school (尻懸派) stands among the five great Yamato traditions (Yamato goha) that flourished in the shadow of Nara's powerful temples during the late Kamakura period. While traditionally attributed to Norihiro as founder, Norinaga (則長) is regarded as the de facto progenitor, documented through extant tantō bearing inscriptions of his age: forty-eight in Bunpō 3 (1319) and sixty-nine in Ryakuō 3 (1340). These datings place his birth in Bun'ei 9 (1272), establishing him as a contemporary of the school's early development. Works attributed to later generations extend into the Muromachi period, indicating successive transmission of the name across multiple generations. Given the concentration of sōhei (warrior monks) in Yamato Province, it is natural that Shikkake smiths produced numerous naginata, with more surviving examples attributed to this school than any other Yamato tradition. Shikkake workmanship shares the fundamental Yamato vocabulary: construction with high shinogi and conspicuously wide shinogi-ji; forging in itame that characteristically flows, often incorporating mokume and nagare-hada with areas trending toward masame near the edge; and steel exhibiting thickly adhering ji-nie with frequent, stout chikei and occasional nie-utsuri. The tempering centers on suguha-based patterns, yet the school's signature lies in its treatment of the hamon: while maintaining the suguha foundation, Shikkake smiths tempered small gunome in connected succession (ko-gunome-tsure), creating a gently undulating effect. Along the habuchi appear characteristic Yamato activities—hotsure, nijūba, kuichigai-ba, uchi-noke, and yubashiri—with well-adhering ko-nie producing a bright, clear nioiguchi interwoven with kinsuji and sunagashi.
The bōshi typically runs straight with vigorous hakikake, often tending toward yakizume or taking on a flame-like (kaen) character at the point. While some examples execute pure suguha patterns, the intermixing of running ko-gunome within the ha remains the critical diagnostic feature distinguishing Shikkake from other Yamato schools[[c:1]], particularly Taima, with which it shares close affinities. The school's legacy endures through works of exceptional quality and preservation. Surviving naginata of grand scale—some exceeding 2 shaku 7 sun—demonstrate Nanbokuchō-period construction with characteristic shallow flaring and deep curvature, often transmitted in rare ubu-nakago condition. Shortened katana attributed to the school display vigorous forging in which flowing grain and chikei interweave, producing steel of remarkable clarity (saeru), while the tempering exhibits thickly adhering, strongly luminous nie creating bright visual effects. The consistent appearance of well-refined jigane with dense ko-itame and abundant ji-nie, paired with distinctive tempering patterns that balance fundamental suguha with running ko-gunome, establishes Shikkake as a school whose characteristic features remain unmistakable across centuries of production. Works attributed to this tradition regularly survive in kenzen (sound and well-preserved) condition, testimony to both original forging quality and careful transmission through successive generations. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Norinaga則長 | 1317-1319 | 43 |
| Norinari則成 | 1312-1317 | 0 |
| Nagamitsu長光 | 1233-1234 | 0 |
| Sukehiro助弘 | 1308-1311 | 0 |
| Norisada則貞 | 1428-1429 | 0 |
Yamato in the Kamakura period
The Yamato schools grew up in the shadow of Nara’s great monasteries: Tegai took its name from a gate of Tōdaiji. Their austere masame and quiet suguha are a temple aesthetic, prized ever since for exactly that restraint.
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.
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