This is a tanto by Bishu Mihara Masahisa, certified as NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Token. It features a slightly wide and thick shape, characteristic of the late Muromachi period when warfare was prevalent. The blade exhibits a beautiful jigane of itame and mokume with intense chikei, and a hamon of gunome midare with sunagashi and kinsuji. It comes with both a shirasaya and an aikuchi style koshirae, including menuki, kozuka, and other fittings.
Auction status: live on sword-auction.com.
NihontoWatchBETAmei · Mihara · Muromachi · nagasa 25.6cm
Yamato-den · Bingo
32 pieces on the market now
The Mihara school arose in Bingo Province during the late Kamakura period and maintained continuous production through the end of the Muromachi period. The region's ancient reputation as a center for iron goods—documented as early as Engi 14 (914) in the Seiji Yōryaku—provided the technical foundation for this sustained tradition. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Nobumori信守 | 987-1596 | 0 |
| Sadakuni貞國 | 1441-1444 | 0 |
| Nobutsugu信次 | 1444-1449 | 0 |
| Nobuie信家 | 1394-1428 | 0 |
| Tomotsugu朝次 | 1394-1428 | 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 siteIf you wish to return an item, please notify us within 3 days of receipt. After this period we cannot accept cancellations. Please ship the return to us within 5 business days. Cancellation is conditional on the item being kept in the same condition as at the time of sale, so please handle it with care.
This is a tanto by Bishu Mihara Masahisa, certified as NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Token. It features a slightly wide and thick shape, characteristic of the late Muromachi period when warfare was prevalent. The blade exhibits a beautiful jigane of itame and mokume with intense chikei, and a hamon of gunome midare with sunagashi and kinsuji. It comes with both a shirasaya and an aikuchi style koshirae, including menuki, kozuka, and other fittings.
Auction status: live on sword-auction.com.
NihontoWatchBETAmei · Mihara · Muromachi · nagasa 25.6cm
Yamato-den · Bingo
32 pieces on the market now
The Mihara school arose in Bingo Province during the late Kamakura period and maintained continuous production through the end of the Muromachi period. The region's ancient reputation as a center for iron goods—documented as early as Engi 14 (914) in the Seiji Yōryaku—provided the technical foundation for this sustained tradition. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Nobumori信守 | 987-1596 | 0 |
| Sadakuni貞國 | 1441-1444 | 0 |
| Nobutsugu信次 | 1444-1449 | 0 |
| Nobuie信家 | 1394-1428 | 0 |
| Tomotsugu朝次 | 1394-1428 | 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 siteIf you wish to return an item, please notify us within 3 days of receipt. After this period we cannot accept cancellations. Please ship the return to us within 5 business days. Cancellation is conditional on the item being kept in the same condition as at the time of sale, so please handle it with care.
