NihontoWatchReal name: Sumitani Yoichiro, born January 24, Taisho 10 (1921) in Matto City, Ishikawa Prefecture. Died December 12, Heisei 10 (1998). While enrolled in the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Ritsumeikan University, he entered the Ritsumeikan Nihonto Tanren Kenkyujo and studied under the director and tosho, Sakurai Masayuki. In Showa 17, he strove in sword production at the Kokoku Nihonto Tanrenjo in Onomichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture, and through self-study using old meito as models, he mastered the traditional sakuto methods of the Gokaden: Mino, Yamato, Yamashiro, Bizen, and Soshu. He devoted himself to the study of the Bizen-den, such as the nioi-fuku and flamboyant o-choji midare and juka choji midare hamon of the Ichimonji school from the middle Kamakura period, and the unique utsuri appearing in the ji, creating a magnificent choji hamon known as "Sumitani Choji." Showa 42: Certified as Mukansa. Showa 48: Forged the goshinbo tachi-mi for the 60th Jingu Shikinen Sengu. Showa 56: Certified as a holder of "Nihonto," an Important Intangible Cultural Property (Ningen Kokuho). Heisei 10: Passed away on December 12, (1998). (Age at death 77). *What is Mukansa. It is a certification by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai foundation, given to those who have won any of the special prizes eight or more times in the new sword exhibitions sponsored by the association, or those who have won special prizes six or more times, including the Takamatsunomiya Prize two or more times. The association certifies them, and it is required that they excel in both character and skill. Usually, "Important Intangible Cultural Property Holders" (Ningen Kokuho) are recommended from among these Mukansa tosho. *What is Ningen Kokuho. The formal name is "Important Intangible Cultural Property Holder." Established by the Cultural Properties Protection Law, among the intangible cultural properties with high historical and artistic value, particularly important skills are designated as "Important Intangible Cultural Properties," and the people who have mastered and embodied them are certified as "Important Intangible Cultural Property Holders." They are commonly called Ningen Kokuho.
Offered by E-sword
7 on the market
As written by the shop
Machine translation from the shop's Japanese · may contain errors ·
Ishikawa · around 1921-1998
7 pieces on the market now
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 siteCooling-off (returns or exchanges) is accepted within 3 days of the item's arrival. Return shipping and refund transfer fees are the customer's responsibility. Fees other than the item price (transfer fees, credit card fees, etc.) cannot be refunded. Returns and refunds are not available for overseas destinations.
¥980,000
Certificate reading — 銘 傘笠正峯作之 壬戌年八月日