NBTHK Current Horimono Exhibition

[Baka Gaijin]

A few snaps from the current Horimono exhibition at the NBTHK Hakubutsukan in Tokyo.

 

Photography is allowed, just no Flash.

 

 

 

[Baka Gaijin]

[Baka Gaijin]

[Baka Gaijin]

[Baka Gaijin]

[Baka Gaijin]

[Baka Gaijin]

[PNSSHOGUN]

Two videos of the exhibit from a good channel:

 

Part 1:

 

 

Part 2:

 

 

[nulldevice]

That extremely long yari with horimono was for sale at DTI

[Brian]

Thanks for sharing Mal.
I wonder what the earliest swords are that are found with horimono.

[PNSSHOGUN]

English captions for the swords:

https://www.touken.o...rontsndbackside.html

[BIG]

Thanks for sharing Malcolm and John, I missed it..

[Michaelr]

WOW Thank you for sharing. Beautiful blades and Great  photos 

   MikeR

[Lewis B]

These are model images of how horimono should look. Fantastic quality.

[Jussi Ekholm]

Here are the oldest swords with horimono that I have in references, in no particular order as I cannot really say exactly how old they are but I believe all of these date to late Heian period.

 

三条宗近 - Sanjō Munechika

五条国永 - Gojō Kuninaga

正恒 - Ko-Bizen Masatsune

友成 - Ko-Bizen Tomonari

大原真守 - Ōhara Sanemori

 

However there are multiple chokutō that are much older and feature carvings. I did not include those. There are swords with horimono that were made in Early Kamakura period but they are not as old as the blades from makers above. Then of course I will include 5 oldest dated swords with horimono I am currently aware of.

 

国綱 - Awataguchi Kunitsuna 1253 (I believe this mei might need more research) [an interesting sidenote it is an ōdachi]

守家 - Hatakeda Moriie 1280

来国俊 - Rai Kunitoshi 1292

了戒 - Ryōkai 1293

国光 - Shintōgo Kunimitsu 1294

 

[Gakusee]

1 hour ago, Jussi Ekholm said:

Here are the oldest swords with horimono that I have in references, in no particular order as I cannot really say exactly how old they are but I believe all of these date to late Heian period.

 

三条宗近 - Sanjō Munechika

五条国永 - Gojō Kuninaga

正恒 - Ko-Bizen Masatsune

友成 - Ko-Bizen Tomonari

大原真守 - Ōhara Sanemori

 

However there are multiple chokutō that are much older and feature carvings. I did not include those. There are swords with horimono that were made in Early Kamakura period but they are not as old as the blades from makers above. Then of course I will include 5 oldest dated swords with horimono I am currently aware of.

 

国綱 - Awataguchi Kunitsuna 1253 (I believe this mei might need more research) [an interesting sidenote it is an ōdachi]

守家 - Hatakeda Moriie 1280

来国俊 - Rai Kunitoshi 1292

了戒 - Ryōkai 1293

国光 - Shintōgo Kunimitsu 1294

 

Jussi delivers superbly of course as usual. 
 

in my view, the oldest really are the chokuto and that is what counts. 

[Gerry]

I was at this same exhibition on Saturday, and they had a Sadatsuna that had a sublime jigane.

[Gerry]

 

There was this pretty odd looking nanbokucho era Tomomitsu wakizashi with a 41cm, nagasa, and almost half as wide. Complete with accompanying koshirae with a huge kozuka.

[Gerry]

 

This Sumitani Masamine o-yari was exquisite.

[Gerry]

And there were quite a few Tadatsunas with fantastic horimono.

[Gerry]

But one of my favorites is this katana from the mukansa smith Minamoto Moriyoshi.

[nulldevice]

46 minutes ago, Gerry said:

I was at this same exhibition on Saturday, and they had a Sadatsuna that had a sublime jigane.

I spent a long time looking at that Sadatsuna! Beautiful heian era tachi. 

[nulldevice]

Here are a couple photos I snapped that of some blades that captured my eye that haven’t been posted yet. 
 

[nulldevice]

Closeup of the Rai Kunitoshi

 

[Gerry]

2 hours ago, nulldevice said:

I spent a long time looking at that Sadatsuna! Beautiful heian era tachi. 

It was definitely the star of the exhibit, but was odd that the Sadatsuna nakago had a later mei added in Bunsei 12th.

[Jussi Ekholm]

The ultrawide Tomomitsu wakizashi was a historical Masamune that is owned by Yasukuni-jinja. I have so far missed it everytime I have visited Yasukuni-jinja as it has been at NBTHK grading run for a good while now, it just passed as Tokubetsu Jūyō and I hope it will be back at Yasukuni-jinja next summer.

 

The mumei Sadatsuna tachi has the following kiritsuke-mei - 奉納象頭山金毘羅大権現 / 文政十二年己丑六月日 / 願主杉山政徳敬白 - There might be an error in my translation but I believe it was dedicated to Konpira Daigongen of Mt. Zozu by Sugiyama Seitoku (or Masanori) in 1829.

[Gerry]

13 minutes ago, Jussi Ekholm said:

The ultrawide Tomomitsu wakizashi was a historical Masamune that is owned by Yasukuni-jinja. I have so far missed it everytime I have visited Yasukuni-jinja as it has been at NBTHK grading run for a good while now, it just passed as Tokubetsu Jūyō and I hope it will be back at Yasukuni-jinja next summer.

 

The mumei Sadatsuna tachi has the following kiritsuke-mei - 奉納象頭山金毘羅大権現 / 文政十二年己丑六月日 / 願主杉山政徳敬白 - There might be an error in my translation but I believe it was dedicated to Konpira Daigongen of Mt. Zozu by Sugiyama Seitoku (or Masanori) in 1829.

 

Hi Jussi, you're correct, this Tomotisu is listed as Tokubetsu Juyo.

[Gerry]

There was also this tanto with a rather peculiar usagi carving.