NihontoWatchAppraisal Certificate Details: (Zai) Nippon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai Hozon Token [N.B.T.H.K] Hozon Token A work by Osumi Toshihira, a holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property (Ningen Kokuho) and the highest rank among modern Tosho. Osumi Toshihira (real name Sadao Tadao) was born in Ota-shi in Showa 7, and in Showa 27, he apprenticed under the Tosho Miyairi Akihira (who became a Ningen Kokuho in Showa 38) in Sakaki-machi, Nagano-ken to learn Sakuto techniques. He became independent in Showa 33, and thereafter won the highest award, the Masamune-sho, three times at the "Shinsaku Meito Ten"; in Showa 63, he was recommended as an honorary citizen of Ota-shi, and in Heisei 9, he was designated as a holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property (Ningen Kokuho). His style consistently adhered to suguha, and he left behind many particularly long and large-scale works. He passed away in Heisei 21. This work is a carefully crafted piece with a chumon-mei, and is a tanto registered in Showa 49. For this smith, who excelled at long works reaching 2 shaku 6 sun (80cm), this is a very rare small tanto work, and the use of katakiriha-zukuri with different constructions on the omote and ura was likely due to the request of the person who ordered it. The jigane is finely packed and clear, and the hamon is his specialty suguha, making this an excellent piece that demonstrates his expected level of skill.
Certificate reading — 銘 俊平（大隅俊平） 為安藤純吉
NihontoWatchOffered by Iida Koendo
This piece has sold
Get an email when a new Toshihira piece hits the market.
Machine translation from the shop's Japanese · may contain errors ·
Osumi · around 1926-1989
5 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.
Certifies a genuine blade worth preserving: a signature confirmed correct, or, if unsigned, an era, province, and school that the NBTHK can reliably identify.
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 siteFor returns at the customer's convenience, please notify us within two days of the item's arrival. Items that have been altered cannot be accepted. Return shipping is at the customer's expense. Costs other than the item price (bank transfer fees, cash-on-delivery fees, etc.) cannot be refunded. Items delivered overseas cannot be returned or refunded.