Exceptionally fine blade In the Style of
Minamoto Kiyomaro
With Solid Silver fittings…
Horimono in the style of Yoshitane or Nobuhide
MINAMOTO KIYOMARO OF THE YAMAMURA FAMILY BEGAN HIS CAREER WITH THE NAME MINAMOTO MASAYUKI, AND WAS BORN IN 1813 A.D. IN SHINANO PROVINCE. HE WAS A STUDENT OF SECOND GENERATION TOSHITAKA, AN ACCOMPLISHED SWORD MAKER, AND THE GRANDSON OF TOSHINORI, HE WAS OF THE KAWAMURA FAMILY. KIYOMARO WHILE TRAINED IN THE BIZEN STYLE, EMULATED THE GREAT MASTER MASAMUNE FROM SOSHU AND EXCELLED IN THE SOSHU STYLE, OF WHICH THIS SWORD IS ONE. KIYOMARO CHANGED HIS NAME IN 1846 FROM MASAYUKI. HIS FAME AND POPULARITY AS A MASTER SWORD MAKER RIVALED THAT OF (AND DOES TODAY) OF SOSHU MASAMUNE. MINAMOTO KIYOMARO, IS CONSIDERED TO HAVE ACHIEVED THE SAME LEVELS OF SKILL, DESIRABILITY AND FINANCIAL VALUE AS “SOSHU MASAMUNE”, BY ALMOST ALL SWORD EXPERTS AND COLLECTORS ALIKE. HE WAS EVEN GIVEN THE NICKNAME OF YOTSUYA MASAMUNE (MASAMUNE OF YOTSUYA) DUE TO HIS RECOGNIZED TALENT.
KIYOMARO WAS AFFLICTED WITH SERIOUS PROBLEMS OF A PERSONAL NATURE THAT GREATLY AFFECTED HIS PRODUCTION OF SWORDS. A SWORDSMITH WOULD NEVER COMMENCE WORK ON A BLADE UNLESS HE WAS IN THE ABSOLUTE PEAK OF HIS PERFORMANCE LEVEL. AND AS ALL SWORD SMITHS, KIYOMARO FOLLOWED STRICT PREREQUISITES. LIKE OTHER GREAT GENIUSES, KIYOMARO WAS A VICTIM OF NEARLY INSURMOUNTABLE PERSONAL PROBLEMS, WHICH RESTRICTED HIS TIME AT THE FORGE. THESE PROBLEMS ALSO CREATED IMMENSE DIFFICULTIES IN HIS CASH FLOW AND AS A RESULT HE WOULD LEAVE A NUMBER OF SWORDS UNSIGNED. IN THIS MANNER, THEY COULD BE RAPIDLY SOLD WITHOUT NEGATING THE HIGH MARKET VALUE AND DEMAND FOR HIS PERSONAL WORKS. MANY OF THESE WERE UNDOUBTEDLY SOLD FOR MARKETING BY KIYOMARO AS THE WORKS OF HIS STUDENTS, THEREBY ALLOWING THEM TO BE SOLD FOR CONSIDERABLY LESS AND MORE RAPIDLY. THE WORKMANSHIP OF THESE PIECES WERE COMPARABLE TO HIS SIGNED PIECES AS HE WOULD NEVER COMPROMISE HIS QUALITY. IT IS MOST LIKELY THAT THE MAJORITY OF THESE PIECES WOULD BE SIGNED WITH ALTO-MEI (Mei was signed posthumously by student). THIS BLADE COULD POSSIBLY BE AN ALTO-MEI BLADE OF KIYOMARO.
HIS PRODUCTION OF SWORDS UNDER THE NAME KIYOMARO SPANNED ONLY 8 YEARS AS IN 1854 AT THE YOUNG AGE OF 41, HE LOST HIS BATTLE WITH HIS ILLNESS AND SUCCUMBED TO THE HONORABLE DEATH OF SEPPUKU (SUICIDE – CONSIDERED A HONORABLE DEATH AND DONE WITH GREAT CEREMONY AND RELIGIOUS TRADITION). KIYONDO, ONE OF KIYOMARO’S GREATEST STUDENTS, ASSUMED RESPONSIBILITY IN THE CONTINUATION OF KIYOMARO’S FORGE AND AS WELL AS SUPPORTING HIS FAMILY.
SOME OF KIYOMARO’S STUDENTS BECAME THE FOREMOST MASTERS OF THE SHIN SHINTO PERIOD, TO NAME A FEW; KIYONDO, MASA-O, SANE-O, NOBUHIDE. KIYOMARO AND THE WORKS OF HIS FOREMOST STUDENTS TODAY ARE AGGRESSIVELY SOUGHT AFTER BY STUDENTS AND JAPANESE SWORD COLLECTORS WORLDWIDE.
THIS KATANA IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPRESSIVE MASSIVE SWORDS WE HAVE EVER OWNED, WITH AN OVERALL LENGTH OF “107.5cm. / 42.25 INCHES”. THIS BLADE EXEMPLIFIES THE TRAITS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE KIYOMARO SCHOOL. KIYOMARO’S MOST FAVORED STYLE IS EXHIBITED IN THIS SHINOGI-ZUKURI BLADE. PROPORTIONS ARE LONG, WIDE, AND VERY GRACEFUL WITH THE SOUGHT AFTER VERY LARGE O-KISSAKI. THE KITAE (BODY) CONSISTS OF JI-NIE AND IS CONSTRUCTED TIGHT KO-ITAME (FINE WOOD GRAIN) WITH SOME AREAS OF MASAMI (STRAIGHT GRAIN). THE HAMON IS ROUNDED GONOME MIDARE WITH GENEROUS ASHI AND YO (FOOT PRINT) AND AREAS OF ARA-NIE (AREAS OF LARGE COURSER NIE). THE UNUSUALLY LONG TSUNAGASHI AND KINSUJI (STREAKS OF NIE), ALSO SHOW AREAS OF YUBASHIRI (LIKE ISLANDS IN PLACES). THE O-BOSHI AND KISSAKI (LARGE POINT) ARE MIDARE-KOMI (TEMPERING) AND SHOW AREAS OF KAERI (LIKE FLAME TIPS), ALSO HAS HAKIKAKE (BROOM SWEEPINGS). THE HA IS EXCEPTIONALLY BRIGHT AND CLEAR WITH STRONG JI-GANE, THIS BLADE IS ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR AND A MARVEL TO VIEW IN NATURAL SUNLIGHT
THE “HORIMONO” IS IN THE STYLE, (AND OF THE QUALITY) OF “YOSHITANE”. HE WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST HORIMONO MASTERS WHO EVER LIVED. HE BEGAN HIS TRAINING AS A SWORD SMITH (KAJI), AND ENGRAVER (HORIMONO) WITH “TAIKEI NAOTANE”, IN THE EARLY 1800’s. HE BECAME AN ACCOMPLISHED SWORD SMITH. HOWEVER, IT WAS SOON DISCOVERED THAT HIS TRUE SKILL’S WERE HIS ABILITIES AS A HORIMONO (ENGRAVING) ARTIST. IN THIS FIELD HE SURPASSED EVEN THE SKILL’S OF HIS TEACHER. “TAIKEI NAOTANE” WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST SWORD MAKING MASTERS, OF THE SHIN SHINTO PERIOD C – 1800 AD.
“Honjo Yoshitane” Master Horimono engraver
YOSHITANE WAS BORN IN “DEWA” PROVINCE. HE WAS GIVEN THE NAME “KAMI-NO-SUKE”, AT BIRTH. HE FIRST APPROACHED THE MON (SCHOOL) OF “TAIKEI NAOTANE” TO STUDY THE ART OF KATANA KAJI (SWORD MAKING), AND RESIDED AT THE RESIDENCE OF NAOTANE, IN THE “TEN-PO” (1830 ~ 1843). ALTHOUGH HE BECAME AN ACCOMPLISHED SWORD MAKER (HIS EXISTING WORKS ARE FEW), HIS TRUE EXPERTISE WAS AS A HORIMONO ARTIST! HE SERVED AS HORIMONO SENSEI (INSTRUCTOR) TO “SUISHINSEI MASAHIDE I”, “SECOND GENERATION MASAHIDE”, “TAIKEI NAOTANE”, “SUISHINSEI MASATSUGU”, “NOBUHIDE”, AND MANY MORE! HE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE HORIMONO THAT IS SEEN ON THERE BLADES. ON OCCASION THE SIGNED HIS WORK ON THE NAKAGO’S OF THE BLADES. OUR BLADE IS ONE OF THESE SELDOM SEEN PIECES!
“YOSHITANE” WAS ONE OF THE FOREMOST HORIMONO CARVERS THAT EVER LIVED. THERE IS ONE REFERENCE THAT LIST’S THE “TOP 12” ARTISTES, HE IS RATED SECOND ONLY TO “UMETADA MYOJU”! YOSHITANE ALSO ACHIEVED FAME AS A KODOGU (SWORD FURNITURE), AND “TSUBA” MAKER. I HAVE INCLUDED SOME OF HIS MOST POPULAR HORIMONO’S. HE IS RATED “JO – JO” SAKU (UPPER – UPPER) CLASS FOR HIS TSUBA, AND KODOGU WORK. HE WAS SUCCEEDED BY HIS SON, WHO’S WORK IS ALSO SUPERB. IT SHOULD BE CONSIDER IT A GREAT PRIVILEGE TO OWN A BLADE WITH HIS HORIMONO.
Examples of horimono by Yoshitane
*- SAME BASIC STYLE AS ON OUR SWORD WITH DEEP RELIEF CARVING OF THE FLAMES, VERY FEW MASTERS PRACTICED THIS METHOD.
Kunihara Nobuhide
NOBUHIDE, WHOSE PERSONAL NAME WAS KURIHARA KEIJI, WAS BORN IN BUNKA 12TH YEAR (1815) AND ORIGINALLY HAILED FROM ECHIGO PROVINCE AND HE WENT TO KYOTO WHERE HE BECAME A SKILLED MIRROR MAKER. NEXT THREE IMAGES COURTESY OF CLIVE SINCLAIRE.
Nobuhide (from a print dated Meiji 7th year)
IN THE 3RD YEAR OF KAEI (1850) AT THE AGE OF 35, HE ENTERED INTO THE SCHOOL OF KIYOMARO WHERE HE SERVED A SHORT APPRENTICESHIP OF ONLY 2 YEARS. HE IS CONSIDERED THE MOST SKILFUL OF KIYOMARO’S STUDENTS AND WAS ESPECIALLY SKILLED AT CARVING HORIMONO, HE EMULATED THE STYLES OF YOSHITANE IN MANY WAYS AND WAS HIGHLY SKILLED IN DEEP RELIEF CARVING AS IN THE EXAMPLES BELOW. THE HORIMONO ON OUR BLADE COULD BE OF HIS EXAMPLE OF HIS WORK. IN HIS EARLIER WORKS HE OFTEN INSCRIBED “HORI DO SAKU” INDICATING THAT HE MADE THE CARVING HIMSELF, NOT SO COMMON ON HIS LATER WORKS.
IN KEIO GANNEN (1865) NOBUHIDE WAS GRANTED THE TITLE OF ECHIZEN (NO) KAMI AFTER WHICH HE IS KNOWN TO HAVE FORGED SWORDS IN OSAKA AND AROUND THIS TIME HE SIGNED NOBUTAKA. AFTER HIS TEACHER, KIYOMARO COMMITTED SUICIDE, NOBUHIDE WITH HIS FELLOW PUPIL KIYONDO, UNDERTOOK TO DISCHARGE KIYOMARO’S DEBTS AND MADE MANY DAI- SAKU AND DAI-MEI AND EVENTUALLY THEY BUILT A TOMBSTONE FOR KIYOMARO AT KOYAZAN. AFTER THE PROHIBITION AGAINST WEARING SWORDS IN 1876 (THE HAITO-REI) NOBUHIDE RETURNED TO ECHIGO PROVINCE AND RESUMED MIRROR MAKING. HE DIED IN MEIJI 14TH YEAR (1881) AT THE AGE OF 66.
Examples of horimono by Nobuhide
COURTESY OF Clive Sinclaire
(Reduced size oshigata)
*- SAME BASIC STYLE AS ON OUR SWORD WITH DEEP RELIEF CARVING OF THE FLAMES, VERY FEW MASTERS PRACTICED THIS METHOD.
Horimono on our blade…
Click to continue onto the koshirae…
THE TSUBA IN THE BOOK, IS A “GA-SAKU” (JOINT EFFORT, BY TWO MAKERS) PIECE. “S?JI” (MUNEHARU), AND “KANO ATSUO”. IT IS MADE OF MYOCHIN TYPE TETSU (IRON). IT IS AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION FOR A MAKER TO BE LISTED, AND ILLUSTRATED IN THESE TAIKANS! MYOCHIN WORKS ARE VERY DESIRABLE.
The Koshirae
THE GOLDEN MONS (FAMILIES) ARE OF BRANCHES OF KIRI AND DAT?. THE TWIN SPARROWS IS VERY SIMILAR TO THAT OF THE DAT? FAMILY.
THE TSUBA AND FITTINGS ARE MADE OF SOLID SILVER, FROM THE MYOSHIN SCHOOL. THE SIGNATURE (MEI) ON THE TSUBA CAN BE READ AS MYOCHIN S?JI(BUT ALSO AS MUNEHARU) AND MADE AT THE SEAT OF IMPERIAL GOVERNMENT (INDICATING CASTLE). WHICH IS IN KYOTO. HE WORKED ABOUT 1850 AD. IN EDO (TOKYO). THE TSUBA IS INSCRIBED AS BEING MADE AT THE IMPERIAL CAPITAL, IN KYOTO (INDICATING CASTLE). IT IS A GREAT HONOR AND DISTINCTION TO HAVE WORKED AT THE IMPERIAL CASTLE
THE SOLID SILVER MOUNTS ARE EMBELLISHED WITH O-NANAKO (LARGE) WHICH IS EXCEPTIONALLY DIFFICULT TO DO AND MAINTAIN THE SYMMETRY AND VERY SELDOM SEEN. THIS IS A 100% MATCHING SET, INCLUDING THE KURIKATA (CORD LOOP ATTACHMENT), IN ORIGINAL CONDITION HAVING NEVER BEEN CLEANED.
THE HUGE LACQUER SAYA IS OF THE HIGHEST OBTAINABLE QUALITY AND IS MADE WITH GOLDEN STREAKS AND DUST PARTICLES. LACQUER WORK OF THIS TYPE IS CONSIDERED TO BE A LOST ART OF TODAY, HAVING LESS THAN 5 PERSONS CAPABLE OF ITS DUPLICATION TODAY.
WE ATTEMPTED TO RECEIVE ESTIMATES REGARDING THE COST TO REPRODUCE THIS KOSHIRAE AND A DUPLICATE BLADE OF THIS QUALITY WITH HORIMONO, IT WOULD BE IN EXCESS OF $70,000.00 US DOLLARS.
The Myoshin school
THE MYOSHIN SCHOOL OF ARMORS WAS MOST POPULAR DURING THE 14TH, 15TH AND 16TH CENTURIES. THEIR FOREMOST EARLY MAKERS WERE NOBUIYE AND YOSHIMITCHI. NOBUIYE WAS WELL KNOWN FOR PRODUCING NEARLY INDESTRUCTIBLE KABUTO’S (HELMETS) OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY. THE SCHOOL WORKED UNTIL 1940 AND IS UNDERGOING A REVIVAL TODAY. THE MYOSHIN SCHOOL ALSO DEVELOPED THE STYLE OF TSUBA THAT INCORPORATED THE USE OF HAND FORGED IRON (TETSU) HAMMERED INTO BEAUTIFUL MOKUME (ROUNDED WOOD BURL) PATTERNS. DURING THE SHINTO PERIOD, THERE SOFT METAL (KINKO) KODOGU MADE OF SILVER, GOLD AND SHAKUDO AND MANY ALLOYS TOOK GREAT STRIDES IN POPULARITY. THEY NORMALLY EXHIBITED HIGO STYLE FORMS AND HIGH DEGREES OF ARTISTRY.
Close-ups kashira
Close-ups fuchi
Tsuba and close-up of mei (signature)
THE SIGNATURE (MEI) ON THE SOLID SILVER TSUBA CAN BE READ AS MYOCHIN S?JI (BUT ALSO AS MUNEHARU) AND MADE AT THE SEAT OF IMPERIAL GOVERNMENT (INDICATING CASTLE). WHICH IS IN KYOTO. HE WORKED ABOUT 1850 AD. IN EDO (TOKYO). THE TSUBA IS INSCRIBED AS BEING MADE AT THE IMPERIAL CAPITAL, IN KYOTO (INDICATING CASTLE).
Menuki (solid gold or heavy gold overlay)
THE BEAUTIFUL MULTI COLORED IMPERIAL GRADE QUALITY SAGEO APPEARS TO BE 100% (THIS IS CONDITION TO BE THE ULTIMATE RARITY) ORG TO THE KOSHIRAE AS THERE IS EVIDENCE NEAR THE KURIKATA OF BEING ITS WORN THREW FROM SAMURAI CARRYING IT IN HIS SASH
Kojiri views
Article By: the late David E. J. Pepin & Tim Pepin, Copyright 2008
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