Muromachi turned sword making into an industry: the uchigatana rose with massed infantry warfare, Osafune and Seki produced bundle swords beside custom orders, and the Ming trade carried Japanese blades abroad by the tens of thousands.
This is a well-mounted katana by the Kotô smith Kanetsune of the Mino school, active around the Tenshô era (1573-1592). The blade features a ko-mokume mixed with masame kitae and a large patterned togari-gunome-midare hamon. It comes with a beautiful koshirae, including a signed Bushû jû Masatora tsuba and Nagatoshi kaô fuchi-kashira, and is accompanied by NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon and NTHK Kanteisho certifications.
NihontoWatchmei · Nara-Tarô School · Shinto · nagasa 69.4cm · sori 1.13cm
Izumo · around 1558-1570
1 piece on the market now
The Muromachi period (1392 to 1573)
Muromachi turned sword making into an industry: the uchigatana rose with massed infantry warfare, Osafune and Seki produced bundle swords beside custom orders, and the Ming trade carried Japanese blades abroad by the tens of thousands.
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 siteThree-day inspection period and seven-day return period; buyer notifies by email within three days of receipt, no reason needed; full refund once item returned undamaged and unaltered.
This is a well-mounted katana by the Kotô smith Kanetsune of the Mino school, active around the Tenshô era (1573-1592). The blade features a ko-mokume mixed with masame kitae and a large patterned togari-gunome-midare hamon. It comes with a beautiful koshirae, including a signed Bushû jû Masatora tsuba and Nagatoshi kaô fuchi-kashira, and is accompanied by NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon and NTHK Kanteisho certifications.
NihontoWatchmei · Nara-Tarô School · Shinto · nagasa 69.4cm · sori 1.13cm
Izumo · around 1558-1570
1 piece on the market now
The Muromachi period (1392 to 1573)
Muromachi turned sword making into an industry: the uchigatana rose with massed infantry warfare, Osafune and Seki produced bundle swords beside custom orders, and the Ming trade carried Japanese blades abroad by the tens of thousands.
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 siteThree-day inspection period and seven-day return period; buyer notifies by email within three days of receipt, no reason needed; full refund once item returned undamaged and unaltered.
