This katana is signed by Kiyomitsu from Kaga province, a smith known for being the favorite of Okita Soji of the Shinsengumi. The blade dates to the Edo period, around 1661. It comes with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon certification.
NihontoWatchmei · Kaga · Edo · nagasa 72.5cm · sori 2cm
Kaga · around 1661-1673
2 pieces on the market now
The Edo period (1615 to 1868)
For two and a half centuries of peace the sword was the warrior’s legal badge rather than his weapon. Each great city developed its own manner, Edo’s tested strength against Ōsaka’s polished brilliance, until demand thinned in the era’s last decades.
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 siteReturns possible within 3 days of arrival. Customer pays return shipping and bank transfer fees. Excluded: condition differs from sale, 3+ days passed, overseas delivery, in-store purchases, and deposit transactions.
¥880,000
