NihontoWatchOrdering Number: AS25297Wakizashi in Shirasaya (NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Token)Inscription:酒井一貫斎繁政彫同作七十三才造昭和五十二年正月二十八日常陸国清水二郎 香梅山雲照寺不動尊奉納記念translation:Sakai Ikkan-sai Shigemasa, carved and made by himself at the age of seventy-three in January 28, Shōwa 52 (1977)Commemorating the dedication to Fudō Myōō of Kōbaisan Unshō-ji Temple, Shimizu Jirō of Hitachi ProvinceWe divide works in to Saijo Saku, Jyojyo Saku, Jyo Saku,and Regular Saku.This piece is ranked as Jyojyo Saku for Sakai Ikkansai Shigemasa.Habaki: Shakudo-colored single habakiBlade Length: 54.7 cm (21.54 in)Curvature: 1.2 cm (0.47 in)Mekugi Hole: 1Width at Base (Motohaba): 3.11 cm (1.22 in)Width at Tip (Sakihaba): 2.03 cm (0.80 in)Thickness (Kasane): 0.64 cm (0.25 in)Sword Weight: 620 gEra: modern timesShape: slightly wide blade with sharp kisski with carvings of Kaen-Bosatsu, Bonji, Suken( a sword), Dokko and Bon-ji.Jigane: Itame with MasameHamon: A shallow gunome-midare with abundant kinsuji activity, accompanied by sunagashi. The boshi turns back with a midare-komi form.Features: Shigemasa was born in Shizuoka Prefecture in 1905. He studied Bizen swordsmanship for a long time under Kasama Shigetsugu, and changed his swordsmith name to Shigemasa receiving the character for “Shige” from Shigetsugu.After that, he became an independent swordsmith and forged swords at the Yasukuni Shrine as an authorized swordsmith for the army and the navy.After the war, he changed the kanji for his name from Masa(正) to Masa(政). He worked vigorously and produced many excellent works and was certified as Mukansa swordsmith. He passed away in 1996.This work was created to commemorate its dedication to Fudō Myōō at Kōbaisan Unshō-ji Temple, and it is a powerful piece distinguished by the abundant kinsuji running through the hamon.NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Certificate (to be issued in Mach)Aoi-Art estimation Paperwhole OshigataAuction Starting Price:850,000JPYThis item was sold at the auction.Related Items:
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around 1926-1989
4 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.
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