tokubetsuhozon
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Bishu ju Kanetake 尾州住兼武
The Tokugawa Shogunate’s rise led to a transformation in Japanese swordsmithing, producing modern blades like the rare naginata by Bishu ju Kanetake. This piece exemplifies craftsmanship with its unique shape and intricate details. It reflects the shift from mass production to artisanal quality, highlighting the connections between influential clans and swordsmiths.
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BIZEN KAGENORI TACHI 備前景則太刀
● This Bizen Kagenori Tachi is an extremely rare, signed work, which is not only ubu, but is also signed and dated. In terms of Koto era blades, this makes it an extremely relevant and rare piece since unshortened, let alone signed and dated works from the Nanbokucho era in the form of daito are…
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Choshu hagi ju nagahiro 長州萩住永広
With the continuing trend toward less functional, flamboyant blades during the Edo Period, concerns of durability led to a movement within the nihonto world to return to Koto Era swordsmithing traditions, creating simpler, albeit useful nihonto. This need for practical weapons was well-founded, especially as foreign influence foreshadowed the coming of another civil war on…