Biyō Osafune-jū Yokoyama Shunzōemon Sukekane Katana
備陽長船住横山俊左衛門祐包刀
Item TK015

Period: Shinshinto — Late Edo Period

Mei (Signature): 備陽長船住横山俊左衛門祐包 Biyō Osafune-jū Yokoyama Shunzōemon Sukekane
慶応三年八月日 Keiō 3rd year, 8th month (August 1867)
友成五十八代孫 58th generation descendant of Tomonari
Designation: Tokubetsu Hozon
Nakago - Ubu, 1 Mekugi-ana
Nagasa - 73.4cm
Sori: - 1.6cm
Motohaba - 3cm
Sakihaba - 1.8cm
Kissaki - 2.3cm
Motokasane - 0.77cm
Nakago - 21.5cm

Price: ¥ 1,150,000

Shinshinto Bizen Swordsmith - Yokyama Sukekane

Yokoyama Sukekane is renowned as one of the representative swordsmiths of Bizen Shintō, alongside Kaga-no-suke Sukenaga, and is said to be the 58th-generation descendant of Tomonari.

Yokoyama Sukekane belonged to the renowned Bizen Yokoyama lineage, which traces its roots back to the prolific Sukesada school—one of the most influential lineages in Japanese sword history. Over the centuries, numerous smiths from the Osafune region adopted the name Sukesada, with more than 60 known to have used it during the Muromachi to Edo periods.

During the Sengoku (Warring States) period, Bizen swordsmiths saw an immense rise in production to meet the needs of feudal warlords. Despite the volume, the tradition of refined craftsmanship endured through generations. By the late Edo period, Sukekane upheld this legacy, forging blades that reflect the elegance and skill long associated with Bizen-den. His swords span from the Tenpō era to the early Meiji period.

His style features a well-forged, tightly packed ko-itame hada (small wood grain pattern), and he is known for his flamboyant chōji-midare (clove-shaped temper lines) in nioi-deki with a tight nioiguchi (temper line boundary). However, works with gentle suguha (straight temper lines) are also seen. His swords span from the Tenpō era to the early Meiji period.

This katana by Yokoyama Sukekane is forged in the iori mune, shinogi-zukuri style and modeled in the elegant shape of a Koto-period tachi. Featuring a modest koshizori, tapering sugata, and a refined ko-kissaki, the overall silhouette evokes the refined aesthetics of early swordmaking. At first glance, it could easily be mistaken for an Koto blade—reflecting the Shinshinto-era swordsmiths’ deliberate effort to revive classical styles. The jigane is a tightly forged ko-itame hada, and the suguha hamon is executed with exceptional precision in a fine nie-deki, showcasing Sukekane's high level of craftsmanship.

As this blade was forged in the image of a classical Koto-period tachi in the Bizen tradition, it is fittingly mounted in a handsome handachi koshirae (半太刀拵)—a hybrid style that blends the elegance of tachi mountings with the practicality of katana fittings. The term "handachi," meaning "half-tachi," poetically mirrors the blade’s own revival of classical form, making the pairing both appropriate and evocative.