Harima Daijyo Fujiwara (Shigetaka) Katana 播磨大掾藤原(重高）刀
Item TK021

  • Period: Shinto - Kanbun era (1661-1673)

  • Mei (Signature): Harima Daijyo Fujiwara (Shigetaka) 播磨大掾藤原(重高）

  • Designation: Hozon

  • Nakago - 15.5cm - Suriage

  • Nagasa - 67.7cm

  • Sori: - 0.5cm

  • Motohaba - 2.94cm

  • Sakihaba - 1.9cm

  • Motokasane - 0.71cm

Price: ¥ 800,000

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Katana by Harima Daijō Fujiwara Shigetaka — Remounted in Kyu-Guntō Naval Officer Koshirae

Harima Daijō Fujiwara Shigetaka was an Echizen-based swordsmith active around the Kanbun era in the early Edo period. Originally from Iida in Shinshū, he studied under Seki Kanenori and later followed his teacher to Echizen during the Tenshō era. The first generation Shigetaka was renowned for his refined craftsmanship. The Shigetaka line maintained its distinguished reputation through successive generations, continuing until the eleventh during the Kaei era.  This blade is forged by the first generation of the Shigetaka lineage and is appraised as a work from the Kanbun era of the Shintō period. The judgement is supported by its distinctive form and shallow curvature (sori) - features typical of Kanbun-era craftsmanship, when many smiths produced blades with a compact sugata and restrained elegance.
This sword was later shortened (suriage) and remounted in a Kai-Guntō naval officer’s koshirae.
During the wartime period, it was not uncommon for officers (especially those from samurai families) to have their ancestral blades refitted for active service. Such remounting allowed them to carry the swords of their forebears into battle as symbols of heritage and honor.

The koshirae of this example corresponds to an early Imperial Japanese Navy Kyu-Gunto mounting, used between 1883 until around 1937, before standardized naval fittings were introduced. The hilt (tsuka) features finely engraved metalwork, crafted specifically for field officers, and is far more intricate than the standard fittings issued to junior ranks. The saya, made of chrome-plated metal, reflects the naval preference for durability and resistance to salt corrosion.