A Shodai Kunikiyo Katana (山城守藤原国清)

Yamashiro no Kami Kunikiyo stands as one of the defining figures of the early Shintô period. Trained under the grandmaster Horikawa Kunihiro in Kyoto, he received the character Kuni from his teacher and carried that influence throughout his career. Retained by the powerful daimyo Matsudaira Tadamasa and based in Fukui from 1624, he rose through successive court titles – from Yamashiro no Daijô to the prestigious Yamashiro no Kami – and was granted the rare honour of stamping the 16-petal imperial kiku-mon chrysanthemum on his nakago. That stamp is clearly visible here, a mark shared by very few smiths in Japanese history.

Kunikiyo is best known for his elegant suguha hamon, but this katana shows a different face: a full-blooded Sôshû-influenced gunome midare with thick, bright nioguchi, vigorous ko-nie, flowing sunagashi, and golden kinsuji threading through the hamon. These are skills absorbed during his years under Kunihiro, brought to bear on a blade that was clearly made to impress. The jihada is dense itame with fine ji-nie, and fine masame runs through the shinogi-ji – textbook Kunikiyo steel.

At 70.8cm with a confident 1.0cm sori, this is a well-proportioned, easy-handling swordsman’s katana. The ubu nakago is unaltered, the signature crisp and complete. Fujishiro rates Kunikiyo Jo-saku; the Asaemon rating of Wazamono confirms the blade’s cutting performance. Certified NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon in Heisei 7 (1995), this is a 400-year-old sword with impeccable pedigree and a story written directly on the steel.