Sagami no Kami Fujiwara Masatsune

Sagami no Kami Fujiwara Masatsune was a swordsmith active from the early to mid-Edo period, based in Owari Province (Nagoya) and one of the celebrated "Three Masters of Owari," renowned for high-quality blades grounded in the bold, powerful style of Keichō Shintō. Originally the fifth-generation Kanetsune of Mino, Masatsune was invited by Fukushima Masanori to relocate to Owari, where he received the title Sagami no Kami and became a representative smith of the Owari domain. He appears frequently in Edo-period connoisseurship records, attesting to his prominence of the era.

Masatsune's blades are characterized by the grand, powerful proportions and vigorous steel and hamon of Keichō Shintō. The jigane is based on ko-itame with appropriate admixture of masame, showing fine, closely distributed jinie across the surface. His work exhibits the shallow curve and broad width typical of Keichō Shintō forms, with the Seki-school tradition evident in his approach. The hamon is predominantly arani (coarse nie)-based, featuring nōtare patterns, gunome-midare, and ōmidare; animated ashi and yō develop vigorously, and the nie sets tightly at the ha-boundary, creating a bright, clear impression.

Masatsune is ranked ryōwazamono in the classical wazamono cutting-performance hierarchy, confirming genuine practical excellence in addition to aesthetic mastery—a combination that made him highly valued by samurai of both the Tokugawa administration and the domain governments. His smithing activity in Owari played a central role in the sword culture of the era, and records survive of blades delivered to daimyo houses throughout the country. Signed works inscribed with the long mei "Sagami no Kami Fujiwara Masatsune" are held in the Tōken Hakubutsukan and distinguished collections across Japan.