SOLD - Fantastic Mid-1400s Japanese Tanto- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Certified

Description

12/2/25- For sale is a fantastic Japanese tanto sword, NBTHK certified at the Tokubetsu Hozon level and estimated to have been made around 1457. Coming from the middle of the Muromachi Period of Japanese history, this sword was made by Taira Nagamori, a known smith who has produced other recognized works. The sword has also been inspected and certified by Japan's Nihon Bijutsu Tōken Hozon Kyōkai (日本美術刀剣保存協会; The Society for Preservation of Japanese Art Swords), the world's leading authority for evaluating Japanese swords. The sword has been awarded a Tokubetsu Hozon designation, indicating that it is recognized as authentic and especially worthy of preservation by NBTHK. This is the second level of NBTHK designation and swords that reach this level are some of the finest examples of Japanese sword smithing. The dealer in Japan who sold this sword originally also rates it as "very, very superior", the third of four levels of appraisal that they offer. Overall, this is an excellent sword with solid history and provenance. 

For the sword itself, the blade is about 11 inches long and is absolutely flawless. There is no patina, no chips, scrapes, rust, or any other kind of imperfection. The left side of the blade has a sort of elongated arrowhead marking pressed into the blade. The handguard is a hammered copper with gold-plated images of lions and dragons. The handle is cloth wrapped with traditional emblems under the wrapping. The blade is secured with two pins. The scabbard is made of wood with a black background and small white polka dot pattern. There is a line down one side of the scabbard that may be a crack but the scabbard itself is solidly constructed and does not feel broken. The blade also comes with the plain wood scabbard and purple wrap that are added to a sword after a traditional professional polishing. There is a very finely made wooden blade to keep the wooden scabbard and handle together. Also included is a nice patterned cloth wrap bag for the sword, in light tan cloth with images of flowers. There is also a long scroll with a thin paper with a full size sketch of the sword, used for identification and authentication. The NBTHK certificate and full laminated appraisal sheet from the Japanese dealer are included with the item. This is a fantastic sword and it is hard to find better examples outside of Japan!