For more than 70 years since our founding, we have cherished the transmission of Japanese sword culture and trustworthy sword transactions.
Through appraisal, sales, and purchase services, we connect customers with their ties to Japanese swords.
On this official account, we will share a wide range of information, from the appeal of the swords and fittings handled by Wakeido to appraisal and purchase details and trivia about Japanese swords.
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Japanese Sword – Wakeido posted.
Introduction of Fuchikashira from Wakeido
Title: Sakana zukushi zu Fuchikashira
Signature: Katsura Sorin (kao)
Certification: [N.B.T.H.K.] Tokubetsu Hozon Tousougu
Dimensions: Fuchikashira: Height 38.8mm, Width 22.6mm, Thickness 13mm
Head: Height 35mm, Width 17mm
Period: Late Edo Period
School: Katsura school
Explanation
Toshimasa Egawa was born in Mito in the third year of the Ansei era. He studied under Eisei Yokotani and became an adopted son of Katsura Eiju. He succeeded the Katsura family's duties and became the official metalworker for the Kurume Domain Arima family, taking the name Katsura Sorin. He excelled in high-relief color painting on red-copper fish skin, carving lions, tigers, horses, fish, and figures.
This work also features his trademark high-relief color painting on red-copper fish skin, beautifully depicting lobsters and flatfish.
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Japanese Sword – Wakeido posted.
Introduction of Tsuba from Wakeido
Title: Takanoha Mon Chirashi Zu Tsuba
Signature: Koyama Motohiro made this, Touryusai Kiyotoshi carved it
Bunsei 13th year, Oborotsuki, requested by Arakawa Kougyo
Certification: [N.B.T.H.K.] Tokubetsu Hozon Tousougu
Size: Length 86.5mm Width 83mm Thickness 4.5mm
Period: AD 1830
School: Touryusai school
Description
This is a tsuba crafted by Koyama Motohiro, the official swordsmith of the Nihonmatsu Domain, with engraving done by Touryusai Kiyotoshi.
Koyama Motohiro was the finest swordsmith of the Nihonmatsu Domain, having trained under Kunisada in Sendai and further honing his skills in Edo under Suishinshi Masahide.
The Touryusai school traces its origins to Kiyotoshi Tanaka, who was born in Aizu in the first year of the Bunka era and is said to have trained in the Aizu Shōami school during his youth. He honed his skills under Kōno Shunmei when the latter visited Tōhoku, completing a clever style known as the Touryusai school that became popular during the late Edo period.
This tsuba is a collaboration between a swordsmith and a metalworker, making it a rare piece.
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Japanese Sword – Wakeido posted.
Introduction of the Tsuba from Wakeido
Title: Kamewari Onkou Tsuba
Signature: Gagetsusai Hamano Naochika (Seal)
Certification: [N.B.T.H.K.] Tokubetsu Hozon Tousougu
Size: Length 72.5mm, Width 68.5mm, Thickness 4mm
Period: Late Edo period, around Bunka and Bunsei
School: Hamano school
Explanation
The Hamano school is a prestigious lineage founded by Masazumi, producing notable artisans such as Kizuzui, Naochika, Horie Kousei, and Iwama Masaru. Naochika, known as Seibei, studied under Kizuzui to hone his skills, leaving behind collaborative works with his master. He resided in Kofu, Kai.
This work features high relief carving and inlaid color painting on a quarter-inch surface, depicting the scene of Kamewari Onkou. Kamewari Onkou refers to the story of Sima Guang, a politician from the Northern Song dynasty in China, who cleverly saved a friend who had fallen into a water jar during childhood. This tale teaches that a person's life is more precious than a valuable jar, symbolizing the importance of life in temple carvings and festival floats. It is also known as "Sima Onkou's Jar Breaking" or "Breaking the Jar to Save a Child."
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Japanese Sword – Wakeido posted.
Introduction of Kozuka from Wakedō
Title: Akikusamushi zu Kozuka
Signature: Made by Nakagawa Isshō
Certification: N.B.T.H.K. Hozon Tousougu
Dimensions: Length 97.5mm, Width 14.5mm
Period: Last of Edo
School: Goto Ichijō school
Description
Nakagawa Isshō is a distinguished craftsman from the Goto Ichijō school. He was initially called Naojirō and later Gohei, born as the second son of Nakagawa Katsusuke in 1829 in Tsuyama, Mimasaka. The Nakagawa family has served the Matsudaira clan of Tsuyama for generations and he first studied under his father, taking the name Katsumi and becoming a clan craftsman. Later, on command, he went to Kyoto and became a disciple of Goto Ichijō. In 1851, he went to Edo with his master and was permitted to take the name Ikki in 1857. After Ichijō returned to Kyoto in 1862, he remained in Edo, serving the Tsuyama clan there, and changed his name to Isshō around this time. His work is similar to that of his master Ichijō. This piece is also of excellent quality, resembling Ichijō's work, and the short verse on the back is a poem by Ichijō.
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Japanese Sword – Wakeido posted.
Introduction of Menuki from Wakeido
Title: Nihiki Shirauo zu Menuki
Signature: Kibatamei Masa Kage
Certification: [N.B.T.H.K.] Hozon Tousougu
Dimensions: Left: Height 52mm, Width 14mm
Right: Height 51.5mm, Width 14mm
Period: Last of Edo
School: Toryusai School
Explanation
The Toryusai School was founded by Tanaka Kiyotoshi, who was born in the first year of the Bunka era and is known to have been related to Haruaki Hōgen. The Toryusai style, characterized by its cleverness, was completed by Kiyotoshi, who trained many disciples, including Jurō, Jumatsu, and Masakage. Masakage was one of them, known for his high skill, and this Menuki is finely crafted with great attention to detail.
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Japanese Sword – Wakeido posted.
Introducing Kozuka from Wakedo
Title: Mouko zu Kozuka
Signature: Katsuryuken (Iwama Masayoshi)
Certification: [N.B.T.H.K.] Hozon Tousougu
Size: Length 97.5mm, Width 15mm
Period: Late of Edo (AD1764 to 1837)
School: Iwama school
Description
Iwami Masayoshi is the founder of the Iwama school. He was a disciple of Hamano Naosuke and was allowed to use the character 'Nao' at the age of twenty, taking the name Naoyasu. After training at the main house, he signed as Katsuryuken Masayoshi, and in his later years, he adopted the name Juboku in pursuit of the ideal techniques of Riju and Mizume Masazui. He excelled in high carving in the Seizui style, and his skills were praised as exceptional.
This work is a kozuka depicting a fierce tiger, notable for its interesting composition. The tiger looks up at the sky with a vivid expression, and the high relief technique used in the background creates a three-dimensional representation of the fierce tiger, which is impressive.
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Japanese Sword – Wakeido posted.
Introduction of the Fuchikashira from Wakeido
Title: Botan shishi zu Fuchikashira
Signature: Hidenaga (kao)
Certification: [N.B.T.H.K.] Hozon Tousougu
Dimensions: Fuchi - Height 38mm, Width 22.5mm, Thickness 13.4mm
Head - Height 33.8mm, Width 13mm
Period: Middle Edo Period
School: Oomori School
Description
The Oomori School is a prestigious lineage alongside the Ishiguro-ha and Yanagawa-ha within the Okutani School, founded by Hidehisa, who trained under Yokoya Somin, and flourished under the second generation, Hidenaga.
Hidehisa Omori, the eldest son of Hidehisa, initially took the name Hanjitsu and later assumed the name Shirobe. After passing away earlier than his father, the family estate was inherited by his younger brother, Fusami. Consequently, the number of his works is limited.
This piece showcases the high skill of the Oomori School, featuring a high relief color painting of a peony lion on a red-copper fish scale ground in the Yokoya style.
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Japanese Sword – Wakeido posted.
Introduction of Kozuka from Wakeido
Title: Plum Tree and Small Bird Design Kozuka
Signature: Okina Toshiyoshi sei
Certification: N.B.T.H.K. Hozon Tousougu
Size: Length 97.5mm Width 14.5mm
Period: Last of Edo
School: Tōryūsai school
Description
The Tōryūsai school traces its origins to Tanaka Kiyotoshi. Kiyotoshi was born in Aizu in the first year of the Bunka era and is said to have trained under the Aizu Masamune school in his youth. He honed his skills under the guidance of Kōno Shunmei Hōgen during his visit to the Tōhoku region, completing a clever style known as the Tōryūsai school. Many skilled disciples followed, including Toshiyoshi, who trained numerous students.
Toshiyoshi was Kiyotoshi's foremost disciple and a refined successor of the Tōryūsai school. With high-level techniques, he popularized the Tōryūsai style during the late Edo period.
This piece features a small bird and plum blossoms in a four-part design, with the trunk and branches of the plum tree having thick areas in high relief while becoming flat towards the end to create a sense of three-dimensionality. It embodies the essence of Tōryūsai and is quite charming.
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Japanese Sword – Wakeido posted.
This is an introduction to the fuchikashira from Wakedo.
Title: Bairyu Taketora zu Fuchikashira
Signature: Yanagawa Naomasa (kao)
Certification: [N.B.T.H.K.] Hozon Tousougu
Dimensions: Fuchikashira - Height 38.4mm, Width 22.2mm, Thickness 12mm
Head - Height 35mm, Width 16.3mm
Period: Middle Edo Period, AD 1692 - AD 1757
School: Yanagawa School
Description
The Yanagawa School, founded by Naomasa, is a prestigious school of town carving with disciples such as Naomitsu and Naoharu.
Naomasa was born in the fifth year of Genroku as the son of Masatsugu, with the childhood name Heijiro, later changed to Sanzaemon.
He entered the school of Yoshioka Inabanosuke during his youth and later learned under Yokoya Somin at his father's instruction.
He passed away at the age of sixty-six in the seventh year of Hōreki.
The Yanagawa School is known for its high-relief color painting on red-copper fish skin, and works signed by Naomasa can be seen as imitations of Somin's style.
This work, Bairyu Taketora zu, also features Yokoya-style dragons and tigers delicately applied to the red-copper fish skin, showcasing Naomasa's exceptional skill.
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Japanese Sword – Wakeido posted.
Introducing a Tsuba from Wakeido
Title Fujikoshi Ryu-zu Tsuba
Signature Shohakudo Sunagawa Masayoshi (kao)
Certification The Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords (N.B.T.H.K.) Tokubetsu Hozon Tousogu
Dimensions Vertical 78 mm Horizontal 73.4 mm Seppa-dai thickness 4 mm
Period Late Edo period
School Sunagawa school
Description
He was the third head of the Sunagawa family and used the art-name Shohakudo.
He specialized in plant motifs such as chrysanthemums, orchids, and pines, as well as dragon designs.
This work skillfully depicts a dragon crossing Fuji in sukidashi carving, showing high technical ability.
The iron has a pleasing texture, and the workmanship is excellent.
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