Hōki no Kami Nobutaka

Hōki no Kami Nobutaka was an active swordsmith in Owari Province (western present-day Aichi Prefecture) from the Azuchi-Momoyama period into the early Edo period, and is counted among the “Owari Sansaku” as a master of note.

Move to Owari and Career

Nobutaka honed his forging skills in Mino Province before moving to Kiyosu in Owari around Tenshō 16–17 (1588–89). It is said that he relocated to the castle town of Nagoya at around the same time construction of Nagoya Castle began in Keichō 15 (1610). From then on, his line served the Owari Tokugawa house generation after generation as goyō kaji (official smiths).

Hereditary Service as Goyō Kaji to the Owari Tokugawa House

The Nobutaka name was carried by five generations, each inheriting the court title Hōki no Kami, which reflects the deep trust the Owari Tokugawa house placed in the line. As a domain smith of the Owari Domain, the line continued to make swords over a long period.

Characteristics of His Style

His style is generally considered restrained, and this is regarded as its greatest distinguishing feature. Although his hamon is nie-based, it contains less nie than the work of Sagami no Kami Masatsune and other leading smiths of the same Owari Seki, and gunome-midare is frequently seen.

Representative Works

Known representative works include a tō (sword) with a blade length of 71.7 cm, signed “Hōki no Kami Fujiwara Nobutaka” and designated Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken, and an ōmi-yari (large spear) with a blade length of 76 cm, signed “Hōki no Kami Fujiwara Nobutaka” and designated Jūyō Tōken.