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.
鑑定書内容:財)日本美術刀剣保存協会 特別保存刀剣[N.B.T.H.K]Tokubetsu Hozon Token 重要無形文化財「日本刀」技術保持者 人間国宝 月山貞一が打ち下ろした包丁正宗写しの贈答記念作品。二代貞一は明治40年に 帝室技芸員でもあった初代貞一の孫として生まれ、父貞勝に学び、早くからその非凡な才能を開花、 月山家伝統の綾杉伝のみならず 備前や相州などの古伝にも積極的に取り組み、また刀身彫刻においても その芸術性豊かな月山彫を完成させる。1967年 (昭和42)30回新作刀名刀展に「名槍日本号写し」を出品、文化庁長官賞/正宗賞を受賞、昭和45年より無鑑査となり、翌年、重要無形文化財 「日本刀」 の「重要無形文化財、技術保持者、人間国宝」の認定を受ける。本作は2代貞一の前銘「貴照」時代、会心の注文作である。日本を代表する愛刀家の一人として知られる田口儀之助氏が日本刀研究会の入札で天位を受賞した北島志氏の御祝いとして注文した作品であり、堂々たる体配に地刃明るく冴え、鋭く彫られた同作得意の彫物もみごとであり、偉大なる愛刀家からの注文に奮い立った同氏の気迫が感じられる流石の傑作である。
Offered by Iida Koendo




Yamato · around 1907-1995
Tōken Taikan top 49%
6 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 siteFor returns at the customer's convenience, please notify us within two days of the item's arrival. Items that have been altered cannot be accepted. Return shipping is at the customer's expense. Costs other than the item price (bank transfer fees, cash-on-delivery fees, etc.) cannot be refunded. Items delivered overseas cannot be returned or refunded.