This wakizashi by Monju Shigesada, a student of Nanki Shigekuni from Kii Province, dates to the early Edo period (Kan'ei era). It features a tightly forged itame-hada with a notare-gunome hamon and is in very good condition. The blade comes with an elegant koshirae fitted with refined metalwork and a shirasaya.
NihontoWatchmei · Monju · Kanei-Kanbun (1624-1673) · nagasa 49.5cm · sori 1cm
Kii · around 1624-1673
The Edo period (1615 to 1868)
Under the Tokugawa peace the daishō became a regulated uniform, and demand gathered in the castle towns, above all Edo itself. The craft split two ways: brilliant display work for connoisseurs, and tested blades whose cutting results were sometimes inlaid in gold.
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 cooling-off period from receipt for refund or exchange. Return shipping and transfer fees are customer responsibility. Items showing use or condition changes are non-returnable.
