Nihonto for Sale

Satsuma Ujisada

Ujisada’s given name was Takei Sadayoshi and he came from Higo province, or present day Kumamoto.  He was the eighth generation Ujisada from Osumi whom decended from the lineage of Izumo no kami Ujifusa, the son of Kanefusa from the Momoyama period.  Later in his career he studied with the famous Satsuma smith, Hoki no Kami Masayoshi.

Ujisada is listed in Hawley’s Japanese Swordsmiths (UJI 152), and in Yamada Asaemon’s text Kokon Kaji Biko, in which both sources document him coming from Higo with an alias of Takei Sadayoshi. In the KKB, Ujisada is listed as having been from Kumamoto (in Higo province) and worked in Kansei (1789), the last year of which was Kansei 12 (1800), which appears on this swords nakago. In Hawley’s text, he is listed as a Satsuma smith with an alternate name of Takei Sadayoshi working in 1789 with another notation of “from Higo”. There is also some information about him in the May 2003 edition of Towa, by Nihonto Shibata.

This sword has been awarded Tokubetsu Hozon Kanteisho from the NBTHK, and notes him as a Satsuma smith. When one considers that Ujisada is relatively undocumented in various major sword references, the award of Tokubetsu Hozon papers is quite a statement. It is likely because of the date on this work, his life span and the style of this particular sword, that it was made while under the tutelage of Masayoshi.

Satsuma smiths gravitated to the Soshu tradition in their creations. Masayoshi worked in the style of Shizu Kaneuji, one of Masamune’s ten gifted disciples, and in conjunction with another Masamune student, Kinju, are credited with the origins of the Mino tradition. Ujisada absorbed this style and this sword exhibits wonderful Shizu style and activity, along with the grander, elaborate form Satsuma smiths created.

This sword exhibits abundant nie, kinsuji, ashi, yubashiri, muneyaki, and marvelous amounts of chikei throughout the surface of the ji. Lovely flowing itame hada mixed with areas of mokume. The jigane is beautiful, and illustrates strength and body having obviously been derived from quality materials, skillfully blended and drawn to length.

At 30 inches long and 8mm thick, its strikes an imposing presence. The curvature is deep and harkens a more classical koto period It is a faithful example of Satsuma sword craft, and contains characteristic stringy kinsuji in the yakiba known as “imozuru”, or potato vines.

This rare and special work is a testament to the ability of a relatively unknown smith who demonstrated great skill.

Price: $19,500.00 USD
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Kanteisho
In shirasaya with bag, gold washed habaki
Domestic US shipping and insurance included

In an effort to promote and support the study of Japanese Art Swords, Legacy Arts will sponsor one year of membership in the American Branch of the NBTHK with the purchase of this sword.