Kantei

Wazamono · blades in museums

Famous works

No blade of the first Masahiro has a national designation in what was consulted; there are katana of his in the Tokyo National Museum and in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the NBTHK has studied two more.

On this page
  1. In the lists and the treatises
  2. Documented works
  3. Other blades with his name

In the lists and the treatises

YearList or treatiseRank
1797, with reissues in 1805 and 1830Kaihō Kenjaku (懐宝剣尺) and Kokon Kaji Bikō (古今鍛冶備考), by Yamada Asaemon業物 (wazamono), the fourth of four grades, for the first Hizen Masahiro, that is, Kawachi Daijō Masahiro

Documented works

  • Katana signed 肥前国佐賀住正広 (Hizen no kuni Saga jū Masahiro), earlier than the title according to the museum, with a 66.4 cm blade and 1.8 cm of curvature, donated by Robert Burawoy, in the Tokyo National Museum.
  • Katana blade by Masahiro dated 1653, with a 68.1 cm cutting edge and 1.7 cm of curvature, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
  • Katana signed 肥前国佐賀住正広 (Hizen no kuni Saga jū Masahiro) and dated the second month of 1639 (Kan'ei 16), of a little over 2 shaku 3 sun 4 bu (about 71 cm), an NBTHK kantei piece in 2025.
  • Katana signed 肥前国河内大掾藤原正広 (Hizen no kuni Kawachi Daijō Fujiwara Masahiro), of 2 shaku 2 sun 9 bu (about 69 cm), tempered in suguha, an NBTHK kantei piece in 2019.

Other blades with his name

  • A tachi signed 肥前国藤原正広作 (Hizen no kuni Fujiwara Masahiro saku), a cultural property of Kanagawa prefecture since 14 January 1958, at the shrine 江島神社 (Enoshima-jinja), according to Japanese Wikipedia. It is not recorded which Masahiro it is by.
  • The sword of Takechi Hanpeita, according to the tradition recorded by Japanese Wikipedia.

No blade of his with a State designation has been found.