After the Ōnin War broke the Ashikaga order, a century of Sengoku warfare armed nearly every province in Japan. The era rewards a discriminating eye: routine work exists in quantity, and beside it stand custom blades of the first rank.
NihontoWatchNihontoWatchThis is a precious and high-quality Japanese katana, signed by Nio Motokiyo. It is an ubu blade, meaning it has not been shortened, and features one mekugi-ana. The sword dates to the mid to late Muromachi period and comes with an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon certificate.
NihontoWatchOffered by Nihonto Art
Suo · around 1504-1521
Tōken Taikan top 63%
1 piece on the market now
The Muromachi period (1392 to 1573)
After the Ōnin War broke the Ashikaga order, a century of Sengoku warfare armed nearly every province in Japan. The era rewards a discriminating eye: routine work exists in quantity, and beside it stand custom blades of the first rank.
A Hozon-certified blade judged to show notably superior workmanship and a better state of preservation. The bar is higher: re-tempered blades and most unsigned Muromachi/Edo works are excluded.
The NBTHK (Nihon Bijutsu Tōken Hozon Kyōkai, the Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords) is a public-interest incorporated foundation founded in 1948 and supervised by Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs (Bunkachō); it is based at the Japanese Sword Museum in Tokyo. Its expert panels physically examine each submitted work (shinsa) and issue a certificate (kanteishō) ranking it by artistic and historical merit. NBTHK papers are the most widely recognized standard of authentication for Japanese swords and fittings.
NBTHK official siteIf the item fails to meet the description, it may be eligible for a return (at the seller's discretion). Item(s) must be shipped back only via FedEx or UPS within 48 hours of receipt, in original undamaged state. Costs are the purchaser's responsibility.
$6,750