Perry’s arrival in 1853 unraveled the Tokugawa peace and created the first mass demand for working swords in two centuries. Kiyomaro, called the Masamune of Yotsuya, died on its eve; Munetsugu and Yukihide carried the boom to the end.
NihontoWatchNihontoWatch, Kuro-ro-nuri-saya Uchigatana Koshirae Masakage, whose name was Goto Reisuke, was born in Toyama, Etchu Province, used the go Gyokusinsai, and first became a monjin of Suzuki Masao, later studying swordmaking under Suishinshi Masatsugu. Residing in Takada, Echigo Province, he is a toko who excelled at the gunome-midare characteristic of the Yamaura school. This katana has a sharp tsukurikomi with a fukura-kare feel, utsuri appears on the ko-itame-hada with masame-nagare jitetsu, and the yakiba is tempered in sakasa-gunome with a bright and clear nioiguchi; inside the ha, ashi enters well, sunagashi is seen everywhere entwined with the jitetsu, and it boasts a workmanship overflowing with the spirit of the Yamaura school, featuring thick, strong nie-deki kinsuji that seem to divide the gunome, as well as yubashiri that almost bite into the gunome; the accompanying koshirae is a refined jo-koshirae unified with kanagu depicting scenes from the Genpei Gassen, further enhancing the value of this sword. I believe it was probably signed (zaimei), but being of the Yamaura school, I speculate that it was unfortunately made mumei in an attempt to pass it off as Kiyomaro or similar; currently, some thin rust is seen in patches, but there are no flaws or defects worth noting, and it is a masterpiece that I would like to see polished appropriately and passed down to future generations. Please take this opportunity to acquire this jo-saku full of spirit in a jo-koshirae from the Yamaura Kiyomaro school, a coveted item for sword enthusiasts.
Certificate reading — 無銘（玉心斎正蔭）
NihontoWatchOffered by Toushin
3 on the market
As written by the shop
Machine translation from the shop's Japanese · may contain errors ·
Echigo · around 1861-1864
Tōken Taikan top 97%
3 pieces on the market now
Bakumatsu: the last war market
Perry’s arrival in 1853 unraveled the Tokugawa peace and created the first mass demand for working swords in two centuries. Kiyomaro, called the Masamune of Yotsuya, died on its eve; Munetsugu and Yukihide carried the boom to the end.
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 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