Antique Japanese Sword Wakizashi Signed by Shigekuni with NBTHK Tokubestsu Hozon Certificate
【Description】
Summary
This blade was signed by Monju Shigekuni (文殊重国) during the early Edo Period (the mid 17th century). The maker’s name, Shigekuni, lasted 11 generations. Their active period was from the early Edo period (1615-) to the late Edo period (-1868). We estimate it is a work of the second-gen Shigekuni, who was especially active from 1655 to 1661, based on the characteristic of the signature inscribed on the tang. The first-gen Shigekuni, one of the most famous swordsmiths, was active from 1600-1624. The generations of Shigekuni forged blades in Kishu province (Today’s Wakyama prefecture ). The second-gen Shigekuni is also known as Monju Shigekuni, distinguishing him from the first-gen Shigekuni. This is because the second-gen often inscribed Monju as a part of his signature, while the first-gen Shigekuni never did in his career. We will explain the meaning of Monju in the next paragraph. His birthname was Monju Kinsuke, and he later changed to Shirouemon. He exclusively forged blades for Samurai who resided in Kishu province. He was famous for forging blades for Tokugawa Yorinobu.
The first-gen Shigekuni
The first-gen Shigekuni was originally from Yamato province (today’s Nara prefecture) and belonged to Monju school, whose headquarters was Tegai school, one of the most prestigious schools in the region. His birthname was Kurosaburo. During the Keicho era (1596-1614), he forged blades for Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first Shogun supreme military leader of the Edo government in Suruga province (today’s Shizuoka prefecture), along with other famous sword makers, such as Yasutsugu. After Iyasu Tokugawa passed away, in the second year of the Genna era (1616), Shigekuni was relocated to Kishu province (Wakayama prefecture) to serve Tokugawa Yorinobu, the 10th son of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Yorinobu built a strong foundation in this area and established Kishu Tokugawa clan,a direct lineage from the Tokugawa clan, who ruled the Edo government. Kishu Tokugawa clan is known as GOSANKE, which is eligible to take over Shogun’s position. The second Shigekuni moved to Kishu province with his father. And, we assume the reason why the second-gen inscribed Monju in his maker’s name is to be proud of his lineage. Since the early Edo period, the generations of Shigekuni served the Tokugawa clan in Kishu province.
The first-gen Shiekuni is also known for forging very sharp swords, which made him and his work classified as Ryo Wazamono Toko (良業物刀工). Wazamono is a classification of Japanese swords and swordsmiths used in Japan to identify historic blades of exceptional quality in the book written by Kaiho Kenjaku (懐宝剣尺) in 1797. He is categorized as a top-tier sword maker in terms of fame and craftsmanship. He created swords with either the Yamato or Soshu tradition.
This blade 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)：54.0 cm (21.2 inches)
Curvature(Sori)：1.0 cm (0.39 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
Kissaki：Kissaki is the tip of the Japanese sword.
Nakago：Nakago 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-Kashira：A pair of matching sword fittings that cover the upper and bottom parts of its sword hilt.
You would find Samurai warriors riding horses, pine trees, and waves are depicted on this Fuchi Kashira. We estimate it depicts a scenery of a battle. There is a famous theme that has sometimes been seen in sword mountings as a design: the Genpei Kassen (源平合戦). Although we are unsure if this Fuchi Kashira depicts exactly this battle, here we would like to introduce its synopsis as a possibility and share a famous piece of Samurai history with you.
The Genpei Kassen does not refer to one battle. This is a collective term for the civil wars heated in various parts of the country that continued over six years from 1180 until 1185. It is also called the Jishou Juei-no Ran (治承・寿永の乱). This was the conflict between the Minamoto (源) clan (Genji family) and the Taira (平) clan (Heike family). By the call of Mochihito Ou (以仁王), many Samurai raised armies to overthrow the Taira family. It was the trigger of this protracted conflict. Mochihito Ou was unfortunately beaten by the Taira family and passed away in 1180. However, after that, Minamoto family side Samurai defeated the Taira side armies one after another. Finally, the Minamoto side won the battle and overthrew the Taira clan in 1185 at Dan-no Ura (壇ノ浦). It was the final battle of the Genpei Kassen, which led to the destruction of the Taira clan, who reached the height of glory.
Also, 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.
Tsuka and Menuki：Tsuka is the handle of the Japanese sword and Menuki is its decoration.
We assume the motif of this Menuki is Noshi (熨斗), which is an ornament attached to gifts and presents offered on festive occasions in Japan. In the old days, Noshi was made of dried abalones shaved into thin strips and stretched. It was regarded as a symbol of longevity, so it was often attached to gifts for celebrations.
This type of Noshi seen on this Menuki is Tabane Noshi, also called Tsuka Noshi, which is made of several long, thin strips of Noshi that are stacked and tied together in the middle. Tabane Noshi has been a symbol of celebration and considered to be an auspicious design which is meant not only to receive blessings from many people, but also to share the good fortune with the people around you. For this reason, this festive design was used not only for Menuki, but also for bridal costumes and so on.
Tsuba and Habaki：Tsuba 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.
You would find two people are calmly seated under a plum tree, or called Japanese apricot blossom, near a flowing river, with a desk in front of one of them and what appears to be a scroll on top of it. We assume they are sages called Kenjin (賢人). According to a theory, these wise men exchanged talks with their companions in a place away from the mundane world.
Regarding the tree, Japanese apricot blossoms begin to bloom in winter that snow still covers its tree so that people thought this flower tells the arrival of spring. Same as cherry blossom, it has been appreciated for a long time in Japan. People enjoy its adorable petal shape and scent, gracefully branched tree, and compose many poems. As it comes out in the cold season, it symbolizes the power of perseverance and vitality.
Since these motifs are depicted in exquisite high-relief carving called Takaniku Bori (高肉彫り), this Tsuba must have been made by very skilled Tsuba maker.
Saya：Saya is the scabbard for the Japanese sword.
Authentication Paper：NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Certificate for the blade (No. 1018804)
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 January 31st in the 26th year of Heisei (2014). 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 : Aichi 28220
The Board of Education in Osaka 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.
—————————————————————–
【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 700 Japanese swords for the past few years (～2024) 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 the export permit.
【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, Canada, Mexico, Germany , Belgium, France, Finland, Hong Kong, 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.
* If you live in the UK and like to purchase an authentic Japanese sword, please contact us first and click here to know the detail.
【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
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.
