After the Ōnin War broke the Ashikaga order, a century of Sengoku warfare armed nearly every province in Japan. The era rewards a discriminating eye: routine work exists in quantity, and beside it stand custom blades of the first rank.
This is a Moroha-zukuri Tanto signed Kanemasu, dating from the Koto end Muromachi period (1521-54) of Mino province. It features a conspicuous Masame-hada forging and a Suguha hamon. The tanto comes with a black stone lacquered surface koshirae and is accompanied by an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon certificate.
mei · Nara · Muromachi · nagasa 22.4cm



After the Ōnin War broke the Ashikaga order, a century of Sengoku warfare armed nearly every province in Japan. The era rewards a discriminating eye: routine work exists in quantity, and beside it stand custom blades of the first 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 siteFor a return, please contact us within 7 days of the item's arrival. If specification changes such as dimensions were made at the customer's request, a return cannot be accepted. Shipping and transfer fees are the customer's responsibility.
This is a Moroha-zukuri Tanto signed Kanemasu, dating from the Koto end Muromachi period (1521-54) of Mino province. It features a conspicuous Masame-hada forging and a Suguha hamon. The tanto comes with a black stone lacquered surface koshirae and is accompanied by an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon certificate.
mei · Nara · Muromachi · nagasa 22.4cm



After the Ōnin War broke the Ashikaga order, a century of Sengoku warfare armed nearly every province in Japan. The era rewards a discriminating eye: routine work exists in quantity, and beside it stand custom blades of the first 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 siteFor a return, please contact us within 7 days of the item's arrival. If specification changes such as dimensions were made at the customer's request, a return cannot be accepted. Shipping and transfer fees are the customer's responsibility.