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.
This is a hira-zukuri wakizashi by Gassan Sadakazu, a Living National Treasure, forged in 1987 when he was 80 years old. The blade features intricate carvings of 'Sho Chiku Bai' (pine, bamboo, plum) on the omote and 'Gomabashi' on the ura. It comes with a gold foil habaki and is housed in a shirasaya, accompanied by a Tokubetsu Hozon certificate from the NBTHK.
NihontoWatchmei · Gassan · Showa (1926-1989) · nagasa 30.5cm · sori 0.3cm
Yamato · around 1907-1995
Tōken Taikan top 49%
5 pieces on the market now
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 siteIf, due to our fault, the item differs significantly from its proper condition, the item may be returned. Cooling-off is within one week of the item's arrival.
This is a hira-zukuri wakizashi by Gassan Sadakazu, a Living National Treasure, forged in 1987 when he was 80 years old. The blade features intricate carvings of 'Sho Chiku Bai' (pine, bamboo, plum) on the omote and 'Gomabashi' on the ura. It comes with a gold foil habaki and is housed in a shirasaya, accompanied by a Tokubetsu Hozon certificate from the NBTHK.
NihontoWatchmei · Gassan · Showa (1926-1989) · nagasa 30.5cm · sori 0.3cm
Yamato · around 1907-1995
Tōken Taikan top 49%
5 pieces on the market now
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 siteIf, due to our fault, the item differs significantly from its proper condition, the item may be returned. Cooling-off is within one week of the item's arrival.
