Edo was the sword’s age of connoisseurship: the Hon’ami appraisers, the shogunal register of famous blades of 1719, and a thriving literature turned the sword into an object of study even as it ceased to be drawn in war.
This wakizashi is attributed to Kiyomitsu of Kaga province, a smith line that continued from the late Muromachi period to the end of the Edo period. While the specific generation is unclear, it is identified as a Shinto period Kiyomitsu blade, likely from the 5th generation or later. The blade features a straight temper line (suguha) with a small turn-back (komaru) in the tip, and comes with a koshirae featuring a blue shell lacquer saya and chrysanthemum-themed fittings.
NihontoWatchmei · Kanbun (1661-1673) · nagasa 57.4cm · sori 1.4cm
Kaga · around 1661-1673
2 pieces on the market now
The Edo period (1615 to 1868)
Edo was the sword’s age of connoisseurship: the Hon’ami appraisers, the shogunal register of famous blades of 1719, and a thriving literature turned the sword into an object of study even as it ceased to be drawn in war.
Certifies a genuine blade worth preserving: a signature confirmed correct, or, if unsigned, an era, province, and school that the NBTHK can reliably identify.
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 sitePlease contact us by phone within 3 days of the item's arrival and ship it back the next day. The postage and security service fees are the customer's responsibility.
