NihontoWatchOrdering Number: AS26219Tanto in Shirasaya with Koshirae (NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Token)Signature:Gassan Sadakazu 月山貞一 (written seal mark)Meiji Sanju-nen Hachi-gatsu Hi (August 1897)明治三十年八月日(We divide 4 sections for each sword as Saijyo Saku, Jyojyo Saku, Jyo Saku and Regular Saku).This blade is ranked as Jyojyo Saku among the works of Gassan Sadakazu.Habaki: Single gold-plated habakiBlade Length: 21.8cm (8.58in)Curvature: 0.0cm (0.00in)Mekugi-ana: 1Motohaba: 2.31cm (0.91in)Kasane: 0.59cm (0.23in)Weight: 125gEra: Meiji 30 (1897)Shape: slightly small Tanto with Mutsumune, carved with Kenmaki-ryu( a dragon coiled around a sword) and Hatahoko(banner spear).Jigane: Itame, mokume and Ayasugi-hadaHamon: Notare and Gunome with much nie making thick nioikuchi and sunagashi and kinsuji.Features: Shinshinto: Jyojyo Saku: SettsuGassan Sadakazu was the leading swordsmiths of the Meiji and Taisho periods and is also well known as the father of Sadakatsu. He began working as a swordsmith in his teens during the end of the Edo period, displaying remarkable talent from an early age. Even after the Haitorei Edict prohibited the wearing of swords and caused many swordsmiths to abandon their craft, Sadakazu continued to forge swords.In 1906, he was appointed an Imperial Household Artist (Teishitsu Gigeiin), the highest distinction bestowed upon craftsmen of the time. He forged swords for Emperor Meiji, as well as for other members of the Imperial Family and prominent military figures.This work demonstrates Sadakazu's exceptional skill in every aspect, from its construction and forging of the jihada to the hamon and horimono.Koshirae: Aikuchi koshirae: newly madeSaya (Scabbard): reddish brown-colored lacquered saya with gold Mitsudomoe crestsMenuki: gold base, dragon motifNBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon CertificateAoiArt estimation paper: Whole OshigataPlease note: the price does not include the shipping fees.Auction Starting Price:2,000,000JPYPlace BidRelated Items:
NihontoWatchOffered by Aoi Art
This piece has sold
Get an email when a new Gassan Sadakazu II piece hits the market.
Yamato · around 1907-1995
Tōken Taikan top 49%
6 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 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.