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 katana was forged by Choshu Nagahiro in September 1862 CE, a swordsmith active in the Choshu Domain during the late Edo Period. It is finely forged with a tight ko-itame hada and bright ji-nie, featuring a ko-nie deki hamon with abundant ko-choji and ko-gunome on a suguha base. The blade is rated Tokubetsu Hozon by the NBTHK, highlighting its exceptional workmanship during an era often associated with declining sword quality.
Certificate reading — 銘 長州萩住永弘 文久二年八月日
NihontoWatchmei · Kanbun (1661-1673) · nagasa 74.2cm
Suo · around 1865-1868
Tōken Taikan top 60%
4 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.
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 siteAs a rule, we do not accept returns from overseas. Once a deposit is paid, we hold the item for up to 3 months. The deposit is non-refundable.
This katana was forged by Choshu Nagahiro in September 1862 CE, a swordsmith active in the Choshu Domain during the late Edo Period. It is finely forged with a tight ko-itame hada and bright ji-nie, featuring a ko-nie deki hamon with abundant ko-choji and ko-gunome on a suguha base. The blade is rated Tokubetsu Hozon by the NBTHK, highlighting its exceptional workmanship during an era often associated with declining sword quality.
Certificate reading — 銘 長州萩住永弘 文久二年八月日
NihontoWatchmei · Kanbun (1661-1673) · nagasa 74.2cm
Suo · around 1865-1868
Tōken Taikan top 60%
4 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.
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 siteAs a rule, we do not accept returns from overseas. Once a deposit is paid, we hold the item for up to 3 months. The deposit is non-refundable.
