This is a Waki Goto mitokoromono set from the Edo period, featuring the Twelve Zodiac Animals. The set includes a kozuka, kogai, and a pair of menuki, all decorated with shakudo base and gold and silver iroe inlay. It is designated as Tokubetsu Hozon.
Certificate reading — 無銘（脇後藤）
NihontoWatchmumei · Edo
Waki-Goto School
Edo
Unsigned
Tokuho (NBTHK)
Iebori · Kyoto
73 pieces on the market now
The Waki-Goto tradition designates the branch and collateral lines of the Goto mainline (soke) that sustained the family's metalworking legacy across generations while extending its reach beyond the central house in Kyoto and later Edo. The Goto family itself constituted the preeminent dynasty of sword-fitting craftsmen in Japanese history, serving successive shogunal families from the Muromachi period through the Edo era. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Kojo光乗 | 1480-1670 | 5 |
| Munetomo/Sochi宗知 | — | 0 |
| Morimura Atsutaka守邨厚隆 | — | 0 |
| Taijo泰乗 | — | 0 |
| Mitsuharu光治 | — | 0 |
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 siteTo facilitate this, we offer a three-day inspection period. To initiate a return, you must notify us within three days of the package being delivered. Once we confirm your request, you have seven days to ship the item back to us. The item must be returned in its original condition, including all accompanying documents, certificates, and packaging materials. The buyer is responsible for covering the shipping costs and insurance for the return shipment.
This is a Waki Goto mitokoromono set from the Edo period, featuring the Twelve Zodiac Animals. The set includes a kozuka, kogai, and a pair of menuki, all decorated with shakudo base and gold and silver iroe inlay. It is designated as Tokubetsu Hozon.
Certificate reading — 無銘（脇後藤）
NihontoWatchmumei · Edo
Waki-Goto School
Edo
Unsigned
Tokuho (NBTHK)
Iebori · Kyoto
73 pieces on the market now
The Waki-Goto tradition designates the branch and collateral lines of the Goto mainline (soke) that sustained the family's metalworking legacy across generations while extending its reach beyond the central house in Kyoto and later Edo. The Goto family itself constituted the preeminent dynasty of sword-fitting craftsmen in Japanese history, serving successive shogunal families from the Muromachi period through the Edo era. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Kojo光乗 | 1480-1670 | 5 |
| Munetomo/Sochi宗知 | — | 0 |
| Morimura Atsutaka守邨厚隆 | — | 0 |
| Taijo泰乗 | — | 0 |
| Mitsuharu光治 | — | 0 |
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 siteTo facilitate this, we offer a three-day inspection period. To initiate a return, you must notify us within three days of the package being delivered. Once we confirm your request, you have seven days to ship the item back to us. The item must be returned in its original condition, including all accompanying documents, certificates, and packaging materials. The buyer is responsible for covering the shipping costs and insurance for the return shipment.
