This is a katana by Mutsunokami Yoshiyuki, a Shinto period smith from Tosa province. The blade features a straight hamon with some variations and is accompanied by a shirasaya and silver habaki. It has a Tokubetsu Hozon certificate from the NBTHK.
Certificate reading — 銘 吉行
NihontoWatchmei · Kanbun (1661-1673) · nagasa 64.4cm · sori 1.3cm
Tosa · around 1661-1673
Tōken Taikan top 60%
3 pieces on the market now
Where Yoshiyuki stands among comparable artisans: across all of nihontō, and within tradition, era, and period. The tiers (Foremost · Leading · Major · Notable) weigh official designations from the NBTHK and Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs, together with historical honors of lasting repute such as the Sansaku and Meibutsu-chō.
Select a lens to see how it's measured.
The Edo period (1615 to 1868)
Under the Tokugawa peace the daishō became a regulated uniform, and demand gathered in the castle towns, above all Edo itself. The craft split two ways: brilliant display work for connoisseurs, and tested blades whose cutting results were sometimes inlaid in gold.
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 siteReturns accepted within 8 days of receipt (cooling-off). Excludes items with alterations, exhibitions, or photography; return shipping is customer's responsibility. No returns/refunds for overseas deliveries.
Price on request
This is a katana by Mutsunokami Yoshiyuki, a Shinto period smith from Tosa province. The blade features a straight hamon with some variations and is accompanied by a shirasaya and silver habaki. It has a Tokubetsu Hozon certificate from the NBTHK.
Certificate reading — 銘 吉行
NihontoWatchmei · Kanbun (1661-1673) · nagasa 64.4cm · sori 1.3cm
Tosa · around 1661-1673
Tōken Taikan top 60%
3 pieces on the market now
Where Yoshiyuki stands among comparable artisans: across all of nihontō, and within tradition, era, and period. The tiers (Foremost · Leading · Major · Notable) weigh official designations from the NBTHK and Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs, together with historical honors of lasting repute such as the Sansaku and Meibutsu-chō.
Select a lens to see how it's measured.
The Edo period (1615 to 1868)
Under the Tokugawa peace the daishō became a regulated uniform, and demand gathered in the castle towns, above all Edo itself. The craft split two ways: brilliant display work for connoisseurs, and tested blades whose cutting results were sometimes inlaid in gold.
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 siteReturns accepted within 8 days of receipt (cooling-off). Excludes items with alterations, exhibitions, or photography; return shipping is customer's responsibility. No returns/refunds for overseas deliveries.
Price on request
