The twentieth century nearly killed the craft twice: wartime distortion, then the occupation ban. The NBTHK’s founding in 1948 and licensed forging from 1953 rebuilt the sword as an art, crowned by Living National Treasures and the mukansa rank.
This is a tanto by Gassan Sadakatsu, made around Showa 9 (1934) in Osaka. It is crafted from refined steel from Nihon Satetsu Kogyo Co., Ltd. and features a unique ko-karasu-maru zukuri-like shape. The blade exhibits a tightly forged ko-itame hada, intricate ji-nie, and a bright hamon with shallow gunome-midare and fine kinsuji.
NihontoWatchmei · Gassan · Showa · nagasa 19.7cm
Shinshinto · Osaka · around 1926-1989
Fujishiro Jo saku · Tōken Taikan top 60%
7 pieces on the market now
Shinshinto · Settsu
36 pieces on the market now
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Sadaharu貞晴 | 1865-1868 | 0 |
| Sadayoshi貞吉 | 1926-1989 | 0 |
| Yoshiaki吉明 | 1844-1848 | 0 |
| Naonobu直信 | 1854-1860 | 0 |
| Sadayoshi貞吉 | 1830-1863 | 0 |
Shōwa to the present: destruction and revival
The twentieth century nearly killed the craft twice: wartime distortion, then the occupation ban. The NBTHK’s founding in 1948 and licensed forging from 1953 rebuilt the sword as an art, crowned by Living National Treasures and the mukansa rank.
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, due to our fault, the item differs significantly from its proper condition, the item may be returned. Cooling-off is within one week of the item's arrival.
¥600,000
![Katana - Tokuho - by Gassan Sadakazu - Signed Naniwa ju Gassan Unryushi Sadakazu tsukuru [Seal] Keio gannen 11 gatsujitsu](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fitbhfhyptogxcjbjfzwx.supabase.co%2Fstorage%2Fv1%2Fobject%2Fpublic%2Flisting-images%2Fchoshuya%2FL805711%2F00.jpg&w=2560&q=90)
![Tanto - Hozon - by Gassan Sadayoshi - Fuyou Asahi, Ansei Hebidoshi 8gatsuhi (Attributed to Gassan Sadayoshi) [NBTHK Hozon]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fitbhfhyptogxcjbjfzwx.supabase.co%2Fstorage%2Fv1%2Fobject%2Fpublic%2Flisting-images%2Ftoyuukai%2FL519985%2F04.jpg&w=2560&q=90)
