NihontoWatchHozon Token Osaka Gassan Sadakatsu with Koshirae, Shirosaya and paulownia wood box. This is a work by Gassan Sadakatsu, a master swordsmith representing the Taisho and Showa periods. This work, while small in size, is an impressive mamori tantō tempered in the Soshu den. The blade has just been polished, and the condition of the shirasaya and koshirae is generally good. Furthermore, this work is accompanied by the original paulownia wood box, and on the back of the lid, an uragaki in the handwriting of the swordsmith Sadakatsu is recognized. This is a work by Gassan Sadakatsu, one of the foremost master swordsmiths of the Taisho and Showa periods. Though modest in size, this mamori-tantō is an impressive example, distinguished by its Soshu-style tempering. The blade has been freshly polished, and both the shirasaya and koshirae are in generally good condition. It is further accompanied by its original paulownia wood box, on the underside of whose lid appears an inscription written in Sadakatsu’s own hand. "Sugata" Shobu-zukuri, iori mune, mihaba and kasane are ordinary, mumei, chu-kissaki. Nakago is ubu with kesho yasurime, and the nakago-jiri is kurijiri. "Jigane" As for the jigane, the itame hada flows and becomes masame-like, ji-nie attaches, chikei works, and it becomes a refined metal. "Hamon" The hamon is gunome midare, the habuchi has nie and sunagashi, and kinsuji works within the blade. The boshi is midare-komi and returns deeply in the style of mune-yaki. "Tokucho" Gassan Sadakatsu was born in Meiji 2 (1869) in Yariya-cho, Osaka, as the eldest son of the Teishitsu Gigei-in, Gassan Sadakazu (the first generation), and was named Eitaro. From childhood, he studied under his father Sadakazu to master sword-forging techniques, and it is said that his skill approached that of his father. After the death of Sadakazu, he succeeded the Osaka Gassan family, and from his school, many excellent smiths were produced, including two Living National Treasures: his third son Gassan Sadakazu and Takahashi Sadatsugu. He died on December 24, Showa 18 (1943), at the age of 74. Until around Taisho 7 (1918), he served as his father's assistant, so works with his own mei are extremely few, and as a work from this period, only the chokuto for the Investiture of the Crown Prince (the Showa Emperor) is known. The wakizashi dated Taisho 10 (1921) in the possession of Dewa Sanzan Jinja shows the Ayasugi den and is considered the oldest dated work by Sadakatsu in existence. From around Taisho 10, he gained the favor of the Minister of the Imperial Household, Ichiki Kitokuro, and received orders from His Majesty the Emperor for the Gensuito, as well as from various Imperial families and the Ministry of the Imperial Household, and was engaged in the production of swords bestowed upon Army and Navy generals. Regarding his style, in addition to the Ayasugi den, he was skilled in the Bizen den, and there are also noteworthy things to see in his Soshu den. Many sugata are slender with a ko-kissaki and elegant, which is thought to be deeply related to the fact that he produced many swords for the Ministry of the Imperial Household. This work is a mamori tantō by the swordsmith Sadakatsu, and while there are many examples of suguha, this is an impressive blade tempered in the rare Soshu den. A solid silver Gassan habaki is attached. The blade has just been polished and the condition is extremely good; although the shirasaya and koshirae show a sense of age, they maintain a generally good state of preservation. On the back of the lid of the included paulownia wood box, an uragaki in the handwriting of the swordsmith Sadakatsu is recognized. Gassan Sadakatsu was born in Meiji 2 (1869) in Yariya-cho, Osaka, as the eldest son of Gassan Sadakazu I, who held the title of Imperial Household Artist (Teishitsu Gigei-in). His given name was Eitarō. From an early age, he studied sword forging under his father, Sadakazu, and is said to have attained a level of skill that closely approached that of his father. After Sadakazu’s death, he succeeded to the Osaka branch of the Gassan school, and from among his students emerged many fine swordsmiths, including two Living National Treasures: his third son, Gassan Sadakazu, and Takahashi Sadatsugu. He passed away on December 24, 1943, at the age of 74. Until around Taishō 7 (1918), Sadakatsu served primarily as his father’s assistant at the forge, and for that reason works bearing his own signature are extremely scarce from this early period. Among the very few known examples from this time is the straight sword made for the Investiture Ceremony of Crown Prince Hirohito. A wakizashi dated Taishō 10 (1921), preserved at Dewa Sanzan Shrine, displays the ayasugi tradition, and is thought to be the earliest dated work by Sadakatsu known today. From around Taisho 10, Sadakatsu came into the favor of Ichiki Kitokuro, then Minister of the Imperial Household. Thereafter, he received commissions from the Imperial Household, various branches of the Imperial family, and the Ministry of the Imperial Household, including the making of the Emperor’s Gensuito and presentation swords bestowed upon senior officers of the Army and Navy. In terms of style, he excelled not only in the ayasugi tradition, but also in the Bizen tradition, and he produced noteworthy works in the Sōshū tradition as well. Many of his swords are elegant in shape, being relatively slender with small kissaki, a characteristic likely related to his many commissions connected with the Imperial Household. This work is a mamori-tantō by Sadakatsu. While many of his tantō are tempered in suguha, this example is particularly unusual in being forged in the Sōshū tradition, making it a piece of special interest. It is further fitted with a solid silver Gassan habaki. The blade has just been newly polished and is in extremely fine condition. The shirasaya and koshirae show some age, but both remain in generally good preserved condition. On the underside of the lid of the accompanying paulownia wood box is an inscription personally written by Sadakatsu himself. The Hozon Token certificate is scheduled to arrive in late May; it will be sent later as soon as it arrives. "Koshirae" Aikuchi koshirae, shirasaya, tsunagi. Habaki: Solid silver single-layer Gassan habaki. Fuchigashira: Buffalo horn. Menuki: Triple paulownia mon. Tsuka: Same has an oyatsubu and is makisame; tsukamaki is pure silk golden-brown morotsumami-maki. Saya: Kuro-ishime. "Condition of blade" Polishing: It has just been polished. Flaws: There are no flaws that would be considered defects.
Offered by Giheiya
7 on the market
As written by the shop
Machine translation from the shop's Japanese · may contain errors ·
Shinshinto · Osaka · around 1926-1989
Fujishiro Jo saku · Tōken Taikan top 60%
7 pieces on the market now
Where Sadakatsu stands among comparable artisans: across all of nihontō, and within tradition, era, and period. The tiers (Foremost · Leading · Major · Notable) weigh official designations from the NBTHK and Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs, together with historical honors of lasting repute such as the Sansaku and Meibutsu-chō.
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Shinshinto · Settsu
28 pieces on the market now
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Sadaharu貞晴 | 1865-1868 | 0 |
| Sadayoshi貞吉 | 1926-1989 | 0 |
| Yoshiaki吉明 | 1844-1848 | 0 |
| Naonobu直信 | 1854-1860 | 0 |
| Sadayoshi貞吉 | 1830-1863 | 0 |
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.
Certifies a genuine blade worth preserving: a signature confirmed correct, or, if unsigned, an era, province, and school that the NBTHK can reliably identify.
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.
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¥900,000