This is a katana made by Mai of the Ko-Bizen school, active from the late Heian to early Kamakura period. The blade features an itame hada with mokume, thick ji-nie, and a faint utsuri. It comes with a koshirae featuring a nashiji lacquer saya with mother-of-pearl inlay.
NihontoWatch
Bizen-den · Bizen
5 pieces on the market now
Ko-Bizen (古備前) is the oldest stratum of the Bizen tradition, the work of the smiths who forged in Bizen province from the late Heian period, around the Eien era, into the early and middle Kamakura. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Tomonari友成 | 987-989 | 33 |
| Masatsune正恒 | 987-989 | 66 |
| Kanehira包平 | 1151-1200 | 28 |
| Kageyasu景安 | 1222-1224 | 27 |
| Yoshikane吉包 | 1150-1220 | 46 |
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 siteWithin one week of the item's arrival (cooling-off is possible within Japan only). For defects that differ from the purchase conditions, we will accept the return and refund the payment. For other cases such as overseas, we will consult separately.
This is a katana made by Mai of the Ko-Bizen school, active from the late Heian to early Kamakura period. The blade features an itame hada with mokume, thick ji-nie, and a faint utsuri. It comes with a koshirae featuring a nashiji lacquer saya with mother-of-pearl inlay.
NihontoWatchBizen-den · Bizen
5 pieces on the market now
Ko-Bizen (古備前) is the oldest stratum of the Bizen tradition, the work of the smiths who forged in Bizen province from the late Heian period, around the Eien era, into the early and middle Kamakura. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Tomonari友成 | 987-989 | 33 |
| Masatsune正恒 | 987-989 | 66 |
| Kanehira包平 | 1151-1200 | 28 |
| Kageyasu景安 | 1222-1224 | 27 |
| Yoshikane吉包 | 1150-1220 | 46 |
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 siteWithin one week of the item's arrival (cooling-off is possible within Japan only). For defects that differ from the purchase conditions, we will accept the return and refund the payment. For other cases such as overseas, we will consult separately.
