This is a tanto by Chikuzen no Kami Nobuhide, dated August 1876. Despite the Haitorei Edict banning sword making, Nobuhide was permitted to continue his craft, having studied under the Kiyomaro school. The blade features a robust shape with a broad and thick profile, Itame jigane with chikei, and a midare hamon with deep nioiguchi, sunagashi, and kinsuji.
Certificate reading — 銘 筑前守信秀 明治九年八月日
NihontoWatchmei · Kiyomaro · Meiji (1868-1912) · nagasa 28.5cm
Osaka · around 1868-1912
Tōken Taikan top 87%
3 pieces on the market now
Where Nobuhide 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.
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 siteIf you wish to return an item, please notify us within 3 days of receipt. After this period we cannot accept cancellations. Please ship the return to us within 5 business days. Cancellation is conditional on the item being kept in the same condition as at the time of sale, so please handle it with care.
This is a tanto by Chikuzen no Kami Nobuhide, dated August 1876. Despite the Haitorei Edict banning sword making, Nobuhide was permitted to continue his craft, having studied under the Kiyomaro school. The blade features a robust shape with a broad and thick profile, Itame jigane with chikei, and a midare hamon with deep nioiguchi, sunagashi, and kinsuji.
Certificate reading — 銘 筑前守信秀 明治九年八月日
NihontoWatchmei · Kiyomaro · Meiji (1868-1912) · nagasa 28.5cm
Osaka · around 1868-1912
Tōken Taikan top 87%
3 pieces on the market now
Where Nobuhide 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.
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 siteIf you wish to return an item, please notify us within 3 days of receipt. After this period we cannot accept cancellations. Please ship the return to us within 5 business days. Cancellation is conditional on the item being kept in the same condition as at the time of sale, so please handle it with care.
