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.
This is a tanto made by Sumitani Masamine, a Living National Treasure, in August of the Jinshu year (1982). It features a beautiful Choji hamon, known as 'Sumitani Choji', and is accompanied by an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon certificate. Masamine was a renowned smith who mastered the traditional forging methods of the five traditions (Gokaden).
Certificate reading — 銘 傘笠正峯作之 壬戌年八月日
NihontoWatchmei · Showa (1926-1989) · nagasa 27.2cm · sori 0.2cm
Ishikawa · around 1921-1998
11 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
This is a tanto made by Sumitani Masamine, a Living National Treasure, in August of the Jinshu year (1982). It features a beautiful Choji hamon, known as 'Sumitani Choji', and is accompanied by an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon certificate. Masamine was a renowned smith who mastered the traditional forging methods of the five traditions (Gokaden).
Certificate reading — 銘 傘笠正峯作之 壬戌年八月日
NihontoWatchmei · Showa (1926-1989) · nagasa 27.2cm · sori 0.2cm
Ishikawa · around 1921-1998
11 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
