An exceptional Edo-period woodblock-printed manual dedicated to the art and lineage of Japanese swordsmiths, 古今鍛冶系図大全 (Kokon Kaji Keizu Taizen) — “Complete Genealogy of Swordsmiths, Past and Present” — stands as a masterpiece of samurai scholarship and craftsmanship.
This richly illustrated volume traces the ancestry of Japan’s great katana makers, including schools such as Bizen, Yamashiro, Soshu, and Mino. Each page unveils a meticulous record of names, forging techniques, and blade shapes (sugata), accompanied by drawings of tang inscriptions (nakago mei) and hamon (temper line) patterns.
Printed on handmade washi paper and bound in indigo-blue fukurotoji stitching, the book preserves the tactile beauty and intellectual rigor of Edo-period printing. Once used by sword appraisers and samurai scholars, it remains an invaluable artifact — a bridge between metallurgy, history, and the aesthetic spirit of Bushidō.
Today, Kokon Kaji Keizu Taizen is admired not only as a technical reference but also as an artistic and cultural object — a visual encyclopedia of Japan’s most refined martial heritage.
An authentic Edo-period katana genealogy and swordsmith reference book, showcasing centuries of Japanese craftsmanship and lineage. A prized piece for collectors of nihontō, samurai culture, and antique Japanese manuscripts — embodying the harmony between scholarly tradition and the timeless art of the sword.
