This is an excellent katana by Aoe Sadatsugu from the Nanbokucho period, said to have been worn by Honda Tadakatsu. It features a beautiful jigane with midare-utsuri, a suguha-style hamon with frequent ashi and yo, and a healthy overall condition. The sword comes with a Nobunaga Koshirae replica.
NihontoWatchBETAmei · Aoe · Late Kamakura (c. 1288) · nagasa 69.3cm · sori 1.4cm
Bizen-den · Bitchu
6 pieces on the market now
The Chu-Aoe school represents the middle and culminating phase of the Aoe tradition of Bitchu Province, encompassing smiths active from the late Kamakura period through the Nanbokucho era. The lineage traces its origins to an ancient swordmaking heritage in the lower basin of the Takahashi River, a tradition already celebrated in the eleventh-century Shin Sarugakki, which counted "the swords of Bitchu" among the notable products of the provinces. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Tsugunao次直 | 1345-1361 | 25 |
| Naotsugu直次 | 1335-1364 | 15 |
| Yoshitsugu吉次 | 1326-1332 | 17 |
| Moritsugu守次 | 1356-1361 | 9 |
| Tsuguyoshi次吉 | 1338-1358 | 19 |
A blade designated by the Japanese government for its high artistic and historical value, a standing comparable to an Important Sword. The designation carries an export restriction: a Jūyō Bijutsuhin is kept within Japan and forfeits its status if it ever leaves the country.
The Important Art Object (Jūyō Bijutsuhin) designation dates to the 1933 Law for the Preservation of Important Works of Fine Arts, passed during the Great Depression to stem the outflow of Japan’s cultural treasures abroad. The systems of Important Cultural Property and National Treasure did not yet cover privately-held works, so accreditation by the Minister of Education marked an object as a quasi-National Treasure that could not be exported. About 8,300 works were accredited before the system closed, roughly 1,000 of them swords. The 1950 Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties superseded it: higher-ranked pieces were promoted to Important Cultural Property, the rest kept their standing Jūyō Bijutsuhin status, and no new designations have been made since.
Returns/exchanges/cancellations not accepted after shipment except for significant defects; if defective, return/exchange possible within 3 days of arrival (return shipping paid by customer).
This is an excellent katana by Aoe Sadatsugu from the Nanbokucho period, said to have been worn by Honda Tadakatsu. It features a beautiful jigane with midare-utsuri, a suguha-style hamon with frequent ashi and yo, and a healthy overall condition. The sword comes with a Nobunaga Koshirae replica.
NihontoWatchBETAmei · Aoe · Late Kamakura (c. 1288) · nagasa 69.3cm · sori 1.4cm
Bizen-den · Bitchu
6 pieces on the market now
The Chu-Aoe school represents the middle and culminating phase of the Aoe tradition of Bitchu Province, encompassing smiths active from the late Kamakura period through the Nanbokucho era. The lineage traces its origins to an ancient swordmaking heritage in the lower basin of the Takahashi River, a tradition already celebrated in the eleventh-century Shin Sarugakki, which counted "the swords of Bitchu" among the notable products of the provinces. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Tsugunao次直 | 1345-1361 | 25 |
| Naotsugu直次 | 1335-1364 | 15 |
| Yoshitsugu吉次 | 1326-1332 | 17 |
| Moritsugu守次 | 1356-1361 | 9 |
| Tsuguyoshi次吉 | 1338-1358 | 19 |
A blade designated by the Japanese government for its high artistic and historical value, a standing comparable to an Important Sword. The designation carries an export restriction: a Jūyō Bijutsuhin is kept within Japan and forfeits its status if it ever leaves the country.
The Important Art Object (Jūyō Bijutsuhin) designation dates to the 1933 Law for the Preservation of Important Works of Fine Arts, passed during the Great Depression to stem the outflow of Japan’s cultural treasures abroad. The systems of Important Cultural Property and National Treasure did not yet cover privately-held works, so accreditation by the Minister of Education marked an object as a quasi-National Treasure that could not be exported. About 8,300 works were accredited before the system closed, roughly 1,000 of them swords. The 1950 Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties superseded it: higher-ranked pieces were promoted to Important Cultural Property, the rest kept their standing Jūyō Bijutsuhin status, and no new designations have been made since.
Returns/exchanges/cancellations not accepted after shipment except for significant defects; if defective, return/exchange possible within 3 days of arrival (return shipping paid by customer).
