NihontoWatchGassan is said to have originated from Onio-maru, who lived at the sacred site of Mount Gassan in Dewa no Kuni around the Kenkyu era (late Heian period); since then, swordsmiths flourished at the foot of Mount Gassan, and later, the Gassan mei spread nationwide during the late Muromachi period, with this group of smiths being called the "Gassan kaji." Later, in the late Edo period, Yahachiro Sadayoshi (Gassan Sadayoshi) of the lineage moved to Osaka, and his adopted son Yagoro Sadakazu (the first generation Sadakazu) restored the "ayasugi-hada" characteristic of Gassan, and in Meiji 39, he was appointed as a "Teishitsu Gigeiin," the highest honor for a swordsmith at the time, becoming a purveyor swordsmith to the Imperial Household Ministry. Gassan Sadakatsu was born in Meiji 2 as the eldest son of the first generation master Gassan Sadakazu; he established a forge in Yoshino, Nara Prefecture, and in Sadakazu's later years, he performed daisaku on behalf of his father; his style specialized in the choji midare of the Bizen-den, followed by the Soshu-den, and he also demonstrated extraordinary talent in toshin chokoku. Later, after the death of his father and teacher Sadakazu, he succeeded the Osaka Gassan family and trained Living National Treasures such as his third son, the second generation Sadakazu, and Takahashi Sadatsugu. From around Taisho 10, he was a master smith who received orders for the tachi of His Majesty the Emperor and from the Imperial Families and the Imperial Household Agency, and devoted himself to crafting swords bestowed upon Army and Navy generals (onshi no katana and tanto). This tachi is a work with gunome tempered into a refined jigane of masame kitae; the nioiguchi is extremely bright and clear, with prominent sunagashi appearing throughout and large grains of nie attached, looking just like sand ripples on a clear lakeshore, or perhaps a heat haze or a mirage; the taihai is also good, and it is an outstanding Soshu-den work that makes the viewer groan in admiration, as expected of Gassan Sadakatsu. The accompanying paulownia box is a double box consisting of an outer box and an inner box, and the inner box bears a hakogaki written by Gassan Sadakatsu himself. It is an ubudashi from an old family in Osaka, and although the hakogaki says gunto, it seems it was not used as a gunto, but was kept in this paulownia box in shirasaya and passed down to the present day. Our shop has performed a high-grade polish for art appreciation. Please fully enjoy the clarity of Sadakatsu's polished jiba.
Offered by Toushin
6 on the market
As written by the shop
Machine translation from the shop's Japanese · may contain errors ·
Shinshinto · Osaka · around 1926-1989
Fujishiro Jo saku · Tōken Taikan top 60%
6 pieces on the market now
Where Sadakatsu stands among comparable artisans: across all of nihontō, and within tradition, era, and period. The tiers (Foremost · Leading · Major · Notable) weigh official designations from the NBTHK and Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs, together with historical honors of lasting repute such as the Sansaku and Meibutsu-chō.
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Shinshinto · Settsu
27 pieces on the market now
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Sadaharu貞晴 | 1865-1868 | 0 |
| Sadayoshi貞吉 | 1926-1989 | 0 |
| Yoshiaki吉明 | 1844-1848 | 0 |
| Naonobu直信 | 1854-1860 | 0 |
| Sadayoshi貞吉 | 1830-1863 | 0 |
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 siteAs a rule we do not accept returns, except when we have sent a different item from the one ordered or when there is a significant discrepancy between the description and the item. If you wish to return an item, please contact us within 3 days of its arrival and then send it back.
¥2,420,000
Certificate reading — 銘 大阪住月山貞勝謹作(花押) 昭和十一年十二月吉日