The Haitōrei edict of 1876 ended sword wearing and nearly ended the craft itself. Military demand and imperial patronage kept a remnant alive, and in 1906 Gassan Sadakazu and Miyamoto Kanenori were named Artists to the Imperial Household.
This exceptional tantô by Toshinaga, dated August 1872, is one of his last works, forged at the twilight of the samurai age. It features a tightly grained ko-itame jihada and a wildly electric gunome-notare-midare hamon in the Sôshû tradition. The stunning aikuchi-style koshirae, original to the tantô, is finished in silver nashiji-nuri lacquer with matching fittings depicting the Four Gentlemen.
NihontoWatchmei · Shinshintô – Meiji Period (meiji era: 1872) · nagasa 21.5cm
Kozuke · around 1789-1801
Tōken Taikan top 87%
1 piece on the market now
Meiji: survival after the edict
The Haitōrei edict of 1876 ended sword wearing and nearly ended the craft itself. Military demand and imperial patronage kept a remnant alive, and in 1906 Gassan Sadakazu and Miyamoto Kanenori were named Artists to the Imperial Household.
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 siteAll swords come with a three-day inspection period beginning from the date of delivery. If not satisfied, the sword may be returned within this period for a full refund of the purchase price. Outside of this period, all sales are final. Swords purchased on a layaway payment plan are not eligible for the three-day inspection period.
This exceptional tantô by Toshinaga, dated August 1872, is one of his last works, forged at the twilight of the samurai age. It features a tightly grained ko-itame jihada and a wildly electric gunome-notare-midare hamon in the Sôshû tradition. The stunning aikuchi-style koshirae, original to the tantô, is finished in silver nashiji-nuri lacquer with matching fittings depicting the Four Gentlemen.
NihontoWatchmei · Shinshintô – Meiji Period (meiji era: 1872) · nagasa 21.5cm
Kozuke · around 1789-1801
Tōken Taikan top 87%
1 piece on the market now
Meiji: survival after the edict
The Haitōrei edict of 1876 ended sword wearing and nearly ended the craft itself. Military demand and imperial patronage kept a remnant alive, and in 1906 Gassan Sadakazu and Miyamoto Kanenori were named Artists to the Imperial Household.
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 siteAll swords come with a three-day inspection period beginning from the date of delivery. If not satisfied, the sword may be returned within this period for a full refund of the purchase price. Outside of this period, all sales are final. Swords purchased on a layaway payment plan are not eligible for the three-day inspection period.
