Perry’s arrival in 1853 unraveled the Tokugawa peace and created the first mass demand for working swords in two centuries. Kiyomaro, called the Masamune of Yotsuya, died on its eve; Munetsugu and Yukihide carried the boom to the end.
This katana by Yamakimi Seimon Shokuzō Moritoshi from Suō province is dated 1860 (Ansei era) and is certified as NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon. It features a standard shape with deep curvature, an elongated kissaki, and a fine ko-itame hada. The blade comes with a koshirae including a Chōshū-jū Tomokata signed tsuba and shakudo fittings.
Certificate reading — 銘 山君青門嘱造盛俊（周防）安政庚申仲春下浣
NihontoWatchmei · Shin-shinto · nagasa 68.78cm · sori 1.97cm
Suo · around 1854-1869
2 pieces on the market now
Bakumatsu: the last war market
Perry’s arrival in 1853 unraveled the Tokugawa peace and created the first mass demand for working swords in two centuries. Kiyomaro, called the Masamune of Yotsuya, died on its eve; Munetsugu and Yukihide carried the boom to the end.
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 siteIf you wish to return an item, please notify us within 3 days of receipt. After this period we cannot accept cancellations. Please ship the return to us within 5 business days. Cancellation is conditional on the item being kept in the same condition as at the time of sale, so please handle it with care.
This katana by Yamakimi Seimon Shokuzō Moritoshi from Suō province is dated 1860 (Ansei era) and is certified as NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon. It features a standard shape with deep curvature, an elongated kissaki, and a fine ko-itame hada. The blade comes with a koshirae including a Chōshū-jū Tomokata signed tsuba and shakudo fittings.
Certificate reading — 銘 山君青門嘱造盛俊（周防）安政庚申仲春下浣
NihontoWatchmei · Shin-shinto · nagasa 68.78cm · sori 1.97cm
Suo · around 1854-1869
2 pieces on the market now
Bakumatsu: the last war market
Perry’s arrival in 1853 unraveled the Tokugawa peace and created the first mass demand for working swords in two centuries. Kiyomaro, called the Masamune of Yotsuya, died on its eve; Munetsugu and Yukihide carried the boom to the end.
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 siteIf you wish to return an item, please notify us within 3 days of receipt. After this period we cannot accept cancellations. Please ship the return to us within 5 business days. Cancellation is conditional on the item being kept in the same condition as at the time of sale, so please handle it with care.
