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Updated: 4 Nov 2024

SOLD

Antique Japanese Sword Katana Signed by Fujiwara Kunikane
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Certificate

$14,678.40

DELIVERY TIME : Approx. 1-1.5 months
*We ship from Tokyo, Japan. There might be delay in shipment depending on countries.

SHIPPING TO :
USA, UK, Canada, Mexico, Germany , Hong Kong, France, Australia
*Please contact us prior to purchase if your country isn’t listed.

INCLUDED : NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Certificate, Koshirae Mounting, Shirasaya Case, Traditional Sword Carrying Case, Sword Maintenance Kit, Full Exportation Support

Category Katana ( SHINTO)
Age Early-Mid Edo Period (1673-1704)
Swordsmith Oshu Sendai Jyu Fujiwara Kunikane (奥州仙台住藤原国包)
Certificate NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Certificate
Location Oshu province (Today’s Miyagi prefecture)
Blade Size Cutting Edge Length: 75.4 cm (29.7 inches)
Curvature:
1.36 cm (0.53 inches)

Thank you for visiting our website. This sword was sold as each antique Japanese sword is one of a kind. However, we might be able to show you something similar because we have various types of swords available. Also, there are ones that aren’t listed on the website yet. Our customer service will help you find your ideal blade you will cherish for generations. Please feel free to contact us or check the list of swords. We will be more than happy to help you.

SOLD

Antique Japanese Sword Katana Signed by Fujiwara Kunikane with Tokubetsu Hozon Certificate 

【Description】

 This blade was signed by Oshu Sendai Jyu Fujiwara Kunikane (奥州仙台住藤原国包) during the early-mid Edo period (1673-1704). The maker’s name Kunikane lasted 13 generations. According to its NBTHK’s appraisal, it was made by the third-gen Kunikane, also known as Genjiro (源次郎). He was active for 25 years between 1672-1697 (Early-Mid Edo Period). Oshu is the province’s name, and Sendai is the city’s name in Miyagi prefecture. This engraving means that Kunikane lived in this area when he forged this blade.

 The first-gen Kunikane was a descendant of the Hosho school members in Yamato province (Today’s Nara prefecture). The first-gen was famous for serving Date Masamune, one of the most famous feudal lords in Japanese history and a legendary figure even today. Under Date Masamune’s order, the first-gen Kunikane was sent to Kyoto in 1614 to become an apprentice of Etchu no Kami Masatoshi, who belonged to Mishina school and was one of the most famous swordsmiths in Kyoto back then. After mastering superb craftsmanship, Kunikane returned to Mutsu province, another name for Oshu, in the fifth year of the Genwa era (1619). He received the honorable official title of Yamashiro Daijo for his excellent sword-forging techniques in the third year of the Kan-ei era (1626).

 The maker’s name Kunikane lasted thirteen generations until the early Meiji period. And they all served the Date clan exclusively, forging high-quality blades. And they pursued their ancestor’s sword-forging styles from Hosho school in Yamato province (Today’s Nara prefecture).

The third-gen Kunikane was born in 1633 as the son of the second-gen Kunikane. The third-gen took over his father’s school in the first year of the Enpo era (1673). There are not many remaining blades forged by the third-gen. Nevertheless, you can see the superb level of craftsmanship in this blade. The third-gen died at the age of 73 years old in 1705.

 If you are looking for an antique Japanese sword related to the Date clan or Date Masamune, we are confident you will be pleased to add this Katana to your collection.

 

  It is appraised as a Tokubetsu Hozon Token(特別保存刀剣) issued by NBTHK(Nihon Bijutsu Touken Hozon Kyokai:日本美術刀剣保存協会). This authentication paper was only given to authentic Japanese swords, especially well preserved and high quality with artistic value.

 

【 Blade】
Cutting Edge Length(Nagasa) 75.4 cm (29.7 inches)
Curvature(Sori) 1.36 cm (0.53 inches)


 

Hamon
The crystalline structure which forms along the cutting edge of a blade as a result of the hardening process
Jimon(Jihada)
visible steel surface pattern created by folding and hammering during forging process



 

NakagoNakago is the tang of the Japanese sword.

 Japanese swordsmiths left the black rust on the tang because it prevents red rust while the tang is in its handle. And the discoloration of the tang was created over time, and it is a great indicator for a Japanese sword specialist to estimate when the sword was forged.

 

Koshirae: Koshirae is the mounting of the Japanese sword. There are several parts that consist of Koshirae such as Saya(Scabbard), Tsuka(Handle), Tsuba(Handguard).

 

Fuchi-KashiraA pair of matching sword fittings that cover the upper and bottom parts of its sword hilt.

 The surface of this Fuchi Kashira is decorated with the Nanako-Ji (魚子地) technique. This process makes a uniform minimal protrusions pattern by hitting the Nanako-Ji Tagane (魚子地鏨, a chisel for this technique) on a metal surface. This decorative technique is often seen on sword mountings.

 Although some colorings have faded due to aging, we could see that golden paint was initially applied to the edges of this Fuchi Kashira. This coloring adds decorativeness to this work.

 
Tsuka and MenukiTsuka is the handle of the Japanese sword and Menuki is its decoration.

 Some rabbits are designed on this Menuki. The Kanji letter for a rabbit is written as “兎” in Japanese. Since the shape of this character is similar to the Kanji “免 (it means avoid),” it is said that this animal design wards off bad luck and misfortune. In addition, rabbits have high reproductive ability, so it is a symbol of offspring prosperity and safe delivery. And the figure of a rabbit jumping forward is a symbol of “things will be solved without problems.” This animal is closely related to the moon, as there is the idea that there is a rabbit on the moon.

 There is an idea that there are rabbits on the moon. The moon is read as “Tsuki (月),” and the expression “ツキがある (Tsuki-ga-aru),” which means “having luck,” could be found. This is also one of the reasons why rabbits have been treated as auspicious existences.

   
Tsuba and HabakiTsuba is the handguard for the Japanese Sword and Habaki is the equipment to make the blade not touch its scabbard inside. It prevents the blade from getting rusty and chipped. 

 This iron Tsuba has Kozuka and Kougai holes. The surface of this Tsuba has worn due to aging; however, it seems that old coins are designed. Although there is no decoration with gold and silver, we could clearly see the rust beauty of the iron condition.

Saya Saya is the scabbard for the Japanese sword.  

Authentication PaperNBTHK TOKUBETSU Hozon Certificate for the blade (No. 1005185)

  NBTHK, also known as Nihon Bijutsu Touken Hozon Kyokai (the Society for the Preservation of the Japan Art Sword), is one of the oldest Japanese sword appraising organizations in modern-day Japan. They authenticated the blade on March 23th in the 28th year of Heisei (2016). They appraised it as Tokubetsu Hozon Touken, the blade especially worth preserving for Japanese society. The purchaser will receive this original certificate as well. We can also translate what is written into English and make a PDF file for your record if you request.

Registration Number : Kochi 3111

 The Board of Education in Kochi prefecture issued a registration paper for this sword . It is called Jyu Token Rui Torokusho(銃刀剣類登録証). Bunkacho(The Agency for Cultural Affairs) acknowledges a Japanese sword with this paper as a work of art.
The sword needs to be traditionally hand-forged and made of Tamahagane carbon steel to be registered in the system. With this paper, its owner in Japan can legally own an authentic Japanese sword. Based on this registration number, we will apply for its export permit.
This paper will need to be returned to the board of education when the sword is being shipped abroad, but you can receive a copy of it. An English translation of this registration paper is available on request.

 

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【About us】
 Samurai Museum is located in Tokyo, Japan, exhibiting antique artifacts related to the Samurai history. Samurai Museum Shop is the place for those who are interested in Japanese culture and craftsmanship. We deal with antique Samurai swords/armor, traditional crafts made in Japan and so on.

Japanese Sword& Export Process
 The Japanese swords we deal with are hand-forged edged swords made in Japan. It was made from the traditional carbon steel called TAMAHAGANE(玉鋼). Samurai Museum is familiar with the proper legal procedure for an antique/ authentic Japanese sword to be exported from Japan. We have sent more than 500 Japanese swords for the past three years (~2023) to amazing owners who appreciate its historical value.

 Each Japanese sword is registered under the Agency for Cultural Affairs and the Board of Education in Japan. They issue a registration paper for each Japanese sword for its owner in Japan to legally possess it. The Japanese sword with its registration paper means it was traditionally hand-forged in Japan.

 To legally export the sword from Japan to other countries, we will have to apply for its permit to the Agency for Cultural Affairs(Bunkacho) and return the original registration paper to the Board of Education. It normally takes around 2-4 weeks to receive this permit after submitting required documents. And we would like you to expect at least 1-1.5 months for your order to arrive at your given address after you ordered. For more detailed info, please click here.

 It is allowed for residents in Japan to own authentic Japanese swords without a special license as long as they come with registration papers. Please feel free to contact us if you are a resident of Japan, whether temporarily or permanently. We will also assist you when you leave Japan and need to obtain an export permit. If you live in Japan, please click here before you make a purchase.

【Payment Method】
We accept payment through Stripe (Credit card), PayPal, Apple Pay or ChromePay, all of which are secure payment methods. Also, you don’t need to make an account on Stripe for the checkout. If you prefer other payment method, please contact us. After confirming your payment, we will apply for an export permit. You may either pay in JPY, USD, AUD, CAD,EUR CHF or GBP. The price is set in Japanese Yen. Prices in other currencies are automatically calculated based on the latest exchange rate. 

* If the amount is above 1 million JPY, Stripe or wire transfer will be the only options for payment.

【Shipping】
 We have shipped authentic Japanese swords to the USA, UK, Canada, Mexico, Germany, France, Hong Kong and Australia. If you don’t live in these countries and like to order, please contact us first before making a purchase. We offer Free International Shipping as long as we can send antique Japanese swords by EMS. 

 We normally ship by EMS(Express Mail Service) provided by Japan Post. We will send you a tracking number for your order as soon as we hand it to the post office. We will put 100 % insurance on the shipping document without any extra charge. Based on the total amount, there might be a duty tax or other fee for you to pay, depending on the countries. We use package cushioning to protect the item and put it in a PVC pipe, which is one of the most secure packages because of its durability.

 It will normally takes 5-14 days for the item to arrive at your given address after we dispatch it. Time of delivery is estimated as accurately as possible by the carrier but does not take into account any delays beyond our control such as by inclement weather, post office holiday seasons.

* If you live in Australia and like to purchase an authentic Japanese sword, please click here to know the detail.

*Please keep in mind that due to the spread of COVID-19, there might be delays in shipping. If you like to know the detail about shipping, please feel free to ask us.

【Review】
 Here is one of the reviews we received from a customer who purchased an authentic Japanese sword from us. For more reviews, please click here.
“My experience overall with the whole process was wonderful. I had many questions about the history and process to purchase these treasures. All my questions were answered very timely and complete. The staff is very knowledgeable and very well versed if any questions do arise.”

【How to make sure the condition】
 Please keep in mind that what you are going to purchase is an antique item. We uploaded high resolution photos for you to check its condition thoroughly. If you like to see more photos with different angles, please feel free to contact us. We will be happy to send them to you so that you can make informed decision. It is essential for us to know that you are happy with your choice of a sword. and we are prepared to use the best of our ability to serve you.

【How To Contact Us】
 Please contact us through email, Facebook Messenger or Live Chat if you have any questions. You can find each icon on the right side of the website. Please click one of them to reach us. We will reply to you within 1-2 business days.

The Art of Nihonto (Japanese Sword)
 Samurai’s history is a profound, eloquent legacy of ancient Japanese warriors in which millions of people worldwide are being fascinated. If you like to find out the art of Nihonto, please click here.

A Guide to Japanese Sword Maintenance
 After acquiring an genuine Japanese sword, it is also important to know how to take good care of it. Here is the special video for you. Mr. Paul Martin, Japanese sword expert, shows you how to give proper maintenance to your sword. By mastering how to clean the Japanese sword, its aesthetic beauty will last forever.

 When you purchase a Japanese sword from us, you can get a Free Japanese sword maintenance kit. It comes with four tools(Choji Oil, Uchiko Whetstone Powder, Peg remover, Oil Applicator). By watching the video instruction above , you can enjoy learning how to maintain your Japanese sword while appreciating it. If  you have any difficulty assembling the sword or cleaning the blade, you can feel free to contact us.

 

MORE ANTIQUE JAPANESE SWORD FOR SALE

SWORDS WITHOUT CERTIFICATES FOR SALE

READ KATANA ARCHIVE ARTICLE(Episode1-8)

LEARN JAPANESE SWORD TERMINOLOGY

 

 Thank you for reading all the information on the page. If you have any difficulty choosing the right Japanese sword for you, we will be more than happy to help you find the one that speaks to you the most. Please feel free to contact us.

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