{"product_id":"katana-bizen-osafune-sukesada","title":"Katana : Bizen Osafune Sukesada","description":"\u003ch1 data-section-id=\"nmfip2\" data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"26\"\u003eBizen Osafune Sukesada\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"27\" data-end=\"93\"\u003eBizen Traditional \/ Osafune school\u003cbr data-start=\"43\" data-end=\"46\"\u003eLate Muromachi Period (Tenshō Era, c.1570–1590)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-start=\"95\" data-end=\"98\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-section-id=\"ery58m\" data-start=\"100\" data-end=\"121\"\u003eHistorical Context\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"123\" data-end=\"269\"\u003eThis blade was forged during the final decades of the Muromachi period, an age remembered in Japan as the Sengoku Jidai—the Age of Warring States.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"271\" data-end=\"700\"\u003eFor more than a century, regional lords competed for power across the country. Armies grew larger, campaigns became longer, and the demand for reliable weapons increased dramatically. During this period, Bizen Province emerged as one of Japan’s most important centers of sword production. Among its many smiths, the Sukesada lineage of Osafune became particularly influential, supplying swords to warriors throughout the country.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"702\" data-end=\"1100\"\u003eUnlike the highly individual works commissioned by aristocrats or temples in earlier centuries, many Sue-Bizen swords were created for men who expected to carry them in active service. Practicality, durability, and cutting performance became increasingly important considerations. At the same time, the traditions of classical Bizen workmanship remained visible in the steel and tempering patterns.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1102\" data-end=\"1238\"\u003eThis blade belongs to that world—a sword created not for ceremony, but for an era in which weapons remained essential tools of survival.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-start=\"1240\" data-end=\"1243\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-section-id=\"1feq1zc\" data-start=\"1245\" data-end=\"1268\"\u003eThe Smith and School\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1270\" data-end=\"1349\"\u003eThe name Sukesada occupies a unique position in the history of Japanese swords.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1351\" data-end=\"1715\"\u003eBy the late Muromachi period, numerous smiths worked under the Sukesada name, making it one of the most recognized signatures in the entire Japanese sword tradition. While individual generations can sometimes be difficult to identify without dated inscriptions, authentic Sukesada works remain highly regarded as representative examples of the Sue-Bizen tradition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1717\" data-end=\"2037\"\u003eThe school inherited the legacy of the great Osafune masters who had dominated sword production since the Kamakura period. Although warfare and changing military requirements influenced sword design, many characteristic Bizen features continued to appear, including active hamon and the presence of utsuri within the ji.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2039\" data-end=\"2232\"\u003eThe present blade bears the signature \u003cem data-start=\"2077\" data-end=\"2101\"\u003eBishū Osafune Sukesada\u003c\/em\u003e and retains its original tang (\u003cem data-start=\"2133\" data-end=\"2145\"\u003eubu nakago\u003c\/em\u003e), an increasingly desirable feature for collectors studying swords of the Sengoku era.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-start=\"2234\" data-end=\"2237\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-section-id=\"17rlcoz\" data-start=\"2239\" data-end=\"2264\"\u003eFeatures of This Blade\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2266\" data-end=\"2323\"\u003eThis sword presents a powerful late-Muromachi silhouette.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2325\" data-end=\"2593\"\u003eWith a blade length of 69.2 cm and a substantial curvature of 2.3 cm, the shape immediately conveys the practical character of a fighting sword from the Sengoku period. The proportions remain balanced throughout, with a wide base and a graceful taper toward the point.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2595\" data-end=\"2908\"\u003eThe blade exhibits a conspicuous \u003cem data-start=\"2628\" data-end=\"2643\"\u003emidare-utsuri\u003c\/em\u003e along the ji. Even under its current condition, the utsuri remains visible and provides one of the most attractive aspects of the sword. This feature is strongly associated with the Bizen tradition and contributes significantly to the blade’s historical character.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2910\" data-end=\"3124\"\u003eThe forging pattern consists primarily of \u003cem data-start=\"2952\" data-end=\"2964\"\u003eitame-hada\u003c\/em\u003e mixed with areas of \u003cem data-start=\"2985\" data-end=\"2998\"\u003emokume-hada\u003c\/em\u003e. Along the shinogi-ji, traces of \u003cem data-start=\"3032\" data-end=\"3040\"\u003emasame\u003c\/em\u003e are visible. These features correspond well with established Sue-Bizen workmanship.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3126\" data-end=\"3398\"\u003eThe hamon is a lively \u003cem data-start=\"3148\" data-end=\"3163\"\u003egunome-midare\u003c\/em\u003e incorporating pointed elements commonly referred to as \u003cem data-start=\"3219\" data-end=\"3234\"\u003ekani-no-tsume\u003c\/em\u003e (“crab-claw” formations), a characteristic often encountered in Sukesada works of this period. The boshi continues in midare and returns in a compact rounded form.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3400\" data-end=\"3582\"\u003eParticularly noteworthy is the sword’s original tang. The ubu nakago preserves the blade’s original proportions and provides an important connection to its sixteenth-century origins.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3584\" data-end=\"3921\"\u003eThe sword is currently in poor polish, with surface scratches and areas requiring professional restoration. However, the blade itself remains healthy, and the underlying activities of the steel are still apparent. The visible utsuri despite the present condition suggests considerable potential for future appreciation after restoration.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3923\" data-end=\"4196\"\u003eAlso accompanying the blade is a finely made two-piece habaki. Constructed with silver-covered components and decorative gold accents, it reflects a level of craftsmanship rarely devoted to ordinary swords and suggests that the blade was held in esteem by a previous owner.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-start=\"4198\" data-end=\"4201\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-section-id=\"m7vu7w\" data-start=\"4203\" data-end=\"4234\"\u003eA Blade That Carries History\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"4236\" data-end=\"4351\"\u003eMany swords of the Sengoku period have undergone shortening, reshaping, or repeated restoration over the centuries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"4353\" data-end=\"4643\"\u003eThis example survives with its original tang intact, allowing modern viewers to appreciate proportions remarkably close to those intended by its maker. The preservation of the ubu nakago is particularly meaningful because it provides direct evidence of the sword’s original form and period.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"4645\" data-end=\"4977\"\u003eThe current polish shows signs of age and use. Rather than diminishing the blade’s historical value, these traces remind us that the sword has survived more than four centuries of ownership, handling, and preservation. The visible wear represents the accumulated history of an object that remained worthy of care across generations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"4979\" data-end=\"5185\"\u003eThe survival of the midare-utsuri, the healthy geometry, and the original tang together create a compelling record of a sword that has passed through centuries while retaining much of its original identity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-start=\"5187\" data-end=\"5190\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-section-id=\"ev4xvo\" data-start=\"5192\" data-end=\"5207\"\u003eAppreciation\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"5209\" data-end=\"5343\"\u003eThis blade offers a clear and accessible study of the qualities that made Sue-Bizen swords so respected during Japan’s age of warfare.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"5345\" data-end=\"5599\"\u003eThe combination of an ubu nakago, visible midare-utsuri, characteristic crab-claw elements within the hamon, and a powerful late-Muromachi shape presents a vivid example of the practical swords carried during the final century of the samurai battlefield.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"5601\" data-end=\"5918\"\u003eAlthough currently in tired polish, the blade retains healthy fundamentals and considerable potential for future restoration and study. For collectors interested in authentic Sengoku-period swords, it provides an opportunity to examine many of the features that define the enduring reputation of the Sukesada lineage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"5920\" data-end=\"6003\"\u003eA sword not only of the Osafune tradition, but of the turbulent age that shaped it.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Provenance Selection","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47062766583964,"sku":null,"price":600000.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/7979\/1516\/files\/IMG_6143.jpg?v=1781436586","url":"https:\/\/provenanceselection.com\/products\/katana-bizen-osafune-sukesada","provider":"Provenance Selection","version":"1.0","type":"link"}