The twentieth century nearly killed the craft twice: wartime distortion, then the occupation ban. The NBTHK’s founding in 1948 and licensed forging from 1953 rebuilt the sword as an art, crowned by Living National Treasures and the mukansa rank.
大隅 俊平(おおすみ としひら、1932年1 月23日 – 2009年10 月4日)は、群馬県太田市出身の刀匠。本名は大隅貞男(さだお)1952年に長野県坂城町の後の人間国宝、宮入行平のもとに入門し、来国俊らの鍛法を習得します。1960年より独立後は平安時代から鎌倉時代の古名刀を目標として、地鉄の美を追求し、直刃、特に備中青江派の直刃一筋に研究に努めました。優秀賞、正宗賞を3度受賞など数々の賞を受賞。群馬県指定無形文化財「日本刀」の保持者に認定されます。1997年には重要無形文化財保持者(人間国宝)に認定されました。(敬宮愛子内親王)天皇家に御守り刀を献上。1999年には紫綬褒章受賞。2005年にも旭日中綬章を受賞しています。2009年10 月4日、太田市の自宅にて77歳で亡くなりました。極初期を除き、生涯、直刃(真っ直ぐな刃文)の刀剣を造り続けた事でも知られています。
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Osumi · around 1926-1989
5 pieces on the market now
Shōwa to the present: destruction and revival
The twentieth century nearly killed the craft twice: wartime distortion, then the occupation ban. The NBTHK’s founding in 1948 and licensed forging from 1953 rebuilt the sword as an art, crowned by Living National Treasures and the mukansa 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 siteNo cooling-off period or returns; refund only if the purchased sword is proven fake, capped at purchase price (excludes commission sales, accessories, auction items).