This is a remarkable antique katana by Minamoto Hidenaga, a highly accomplished swordsmith from Bungo Province during the late Edo period. The blade features an impressive and rare progression of three distinct hamon styles, showcasing the smith's extraordinary control and artistic vision. It comes with ornate Toppei style koshirae and an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon certificate, representing an exceptional example of Bakumatsu craftsmanship.
NihontoWatchmei · Edo · nagasa 70.1cm · sori 1.2cm
Bungo · around 1865-1868
Tōken Taikan top 99%
The Edo period (1615 to 1868)
For two and a half centuries of peace the sword was the warrior’s legal badge rather than his weapon. Each great city developed its own manner, Edo’s tested strength against Ōsaka’s polished brilliance, until demand thinned in the era’s last decades.
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 siteReturns accepted only for errors/damage: damaged or incorrect items reported by email within 10 calendar days; defective goods within 30 calendar days.
