NihontoWatchOrdering number: 24108Katana in Shirasaya, with Box (NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Token)Signature: Osaka Ju Gassan Sadakatsu (Kao)Koki 2601 Nen 3 Gatsu Hi(March 1941)大阪住月山貞勝(花押)皇紀二千六百一年三月We divide 4 sections for each sword as Saijyo Saku, Jyojyo Saku, Jyo Saku and Regular Saku.This work is ranked as Jyojyo Saku for Gassan Sadakatsu.PolishedHabaki: Silver single layer (Gassan Habaki)Blade Length: 67.0 cm (26.38 in)Curvature: 1.7 cm (0.67 in)Mekugi Hole: 1Width at Base: 2.58 cm (1.02 in)Width at Tip: 1.66 cm (0.65 in)Thickness: 0.59 cm (0.23 in)Sword Weight: 495 gEra: March, Showa 16 (1941)Shape: Slightly slender, with about 5 cm of unpolished blade remaining.Inscribed with "Koki 2601 Nen 3 Gatsu Hi(March 1941)".Jigane: Koitame hada, well-forged and of high quality, resembling the Yamashiro tradition.Hamon: Straight hamon with notable Gunome midare, continuing from the base to the tip.Features: Gassan Sadakatsu (Eitaro Gassan) was a renowned swordsmith representing the Taisho to early Showa periods.Born in the second year of Meiji (1869), he was the son of the first Gassan Sadakazu.Although his own signed works were few until his forties due to his father's high reputation, his works from the 1920s onwards demonstrate his superb skill.He forged swords for the Imperial Household Agency and for offering to Ise Jingu Shrine, maintaining strict and sincere craftsmanship.In 1935, he moved his forging site to Yoshino Mountain to create swords with a pure heart in a pure place.He trained many notable swordsmiths, including his son, the second Gassan Sadakazu, and Takahashi Sadatsugu of Ehime, both of whom became Living National Treasures.His style includes a reversed Choji midare, Ayasugi hada forging, mastering the Soshu, Bizen, and Yamato traditions.The Ayasugi hada, known as Gassan hada, is a tradition inherited from the Kamakura period and continues to the present.He also displayed exceptional talent in carvings.He passed away on December 24, 1943, at the age of 74.Aoi Art’s Co
Certificate reading — 銘 大阪住月山貞勝作（花押） 皇紀二千六百一年三月
NihontoWatchOffered by Aoi Art
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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 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.