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Updated: 28 Mar 2024

SOLD

Antique Japanese Sword Wakizashi Signed by Ippo
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Certificate

$5,289.61

DELIVERY TIME : Approx. 1-1.5 months
*There might be delay in shipment depending on countries

SHIPPING TO : USA, Australia, UK, Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, Hong Kong
*Please contact us prior to purchase if your country isn’t listed.

INCLUDED : NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Certificate, Shirasaya Case, Koshirae Sword Mounting, Traditional Sword Carrying Case, Sword Maintenance Kit, Full Exportation Support

Category Wakizashi ( SHINTO)
Age Early Edo period(Late 17th century)
Swordsmith Ippo(一峯)
Certificate NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Certificate
Location Omi province(today’s Shiga prefecture)
Blade Size Length:60.0 cm ( 23.6 inches), Curvature: 1.0 cm(0.39 inches)

Thank you for visiting our website. This sword was sold as each antique Japanese sword is one of a kind. However, we might be able to show you something similar because we have various types of swords available. Also, there are ones that aren’t listed on the website yet. Our customer service will help you find your ideal blade you will cherish for generations. Please feel free to contact us or check the list of swords. We will be more than happy to help you.

SOLD

Antique Japanese Sword Wakizashi Signed by Ippo with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Certificate 

【Description】

Ippo(一峯) is a renowned swordsmith who belonged to Omi Ishido school during the early Edo period. There are two generations of the smith named Ippo. We believe the first-gen forged it based on the signature. The first-gen Ippo was born in Takagi village in Omi province(Today’s Shiga prefecture). While the first-gen Ippo forged swords in Omi province for the rest of his life, his son, second-gen Ippo, also forged in Edo city(Today’s Tokyo). The first-gen Ippo was active at sword-forging at the beginning of the Edo period(1648-1652).

Ishido school was initially founded by Sukenaga, an offspring of Ichimonji Sukemune, who made Fukuoka Ichimonji school in Bizen province(Today’s Okayama prefecture).
During 1492-1501(Mid Muromachi period), Sukenaga and his school moved to Omi province from Bizen province after being summoned by Gamou family, a powerful feudal line in that region. Sukenaga started to live in front of Ishido temple, and he changed his surname to Ishido.
As of the early Edo period, many Ishido swordsmiths moved to other parts of Japan. There are mainly four areas: Edo, Osaka, Kishu(Wakayama prefecture), and Chikuzen(Fukuoka prefecture). Omi Ishido school is the origin of whole other Ishido branches that flourished during the Edo period.

While this blade is categorized as Wakizashi, its length is very close to Katana. In Japanese sword terminology, when the blade is more than two Shaku, it is considered Katana. One Shaku is an old measurement, which is equivalent to 30.3 cm. Therefore, two Shaku means 60.6 cm. This blade’s cutting edge length is 60.0 cm.

This blade has a Tokubetsu Hozon certificate issued by NBTHK. This authentication paper was only given to Japanese swords, especially worth preserving by Nihon Bijutsu Touken Hozon Kyokai(the Society for the Preservation of the Japan Art Sword). This sword has beautiful Suguha(straight tempering line) and Jigane. It comes with a beautifully  Raden(crushed oyster shell) crafted scabbard with gorgeous sword mounting.

【 Blade】
Cutting Edge Length(Nagasa)60.0 cm ( 23.6 inches)
Curvature(Sori) 1.0 cm(0.39 inches)


Hamon:
The crystalline structure which forms along the cutting edge of a blade as a result of the hardening process
Jimon(Jihada):
visible steel surface pattern created by folding and hammering during forging process


NakagoNakago is the tang of the Japanese sword.

Japanese swordsmiths left the black rust on the tang on purpose to prevent red rust while the tang is in its handle. And the discoloration of the tang was created over time, which is a great indicator for a Japanese sword specialist to estimate when the sword was forged.

 

Koshirae: Koshirae is the mounting of the Japanese sword. There are several parts that consist of Koshirae such as Saya(Sabbard), Tsuka( Handle), Tsuba(Handguard).

Fuchi-KashiraA pair of matching sword fittings that cover the upper and bottom parts of its sword hilt.

 The Karakusa (唐草, arabesque) pattern is inlaid with silver on this Fuchi Kashira. A pattern in which stems and leaves of vines are twined and make curves. Since ivy has a strong vitality and grows up without interruption, people regarded this design as a symbol of prosperity and longevity. Also, the Nanako-Ji (魚子地) technique decorates the surface of this Fuchi Kashira. The ground was hit by the Nanako-Ji Tagane (魚子地鏨, chisel used for this technique). It makes delicate fish egg-shaped protrusions on the entire surface of the Tsuba. The Nanako-Ji with the same size of particles lined up regularly makes us feel the maker’s expert skill.

Tsuka and MenukiTsuka is the handle of the Japanese sword and Menuki is its decoration.

 It might be the Kabura-Ya (鏑矢) that is the motif of this Menuki. Ya (矢) means an arrow in Japanese. Kabura-Ya is a type of arrow which is attached to Kabura (鏑, a kind of weapon) to the tip of an arrow. Kabura-Ya whistles when it is shot. Therefore, it was used as a signal on the battlefield to notify the start of a battle. In Japan, we can find it in traditional events such as Yabusame (流鏑馬, horseback archery) today. Also, it is enjoyed as a good-omen interior that will protect people from evil spirits. 

Tsuba and HabakiTsuba is the handguard for the Japanese Sword and Habaki is the equipment to make the blade not touch its scabbard inside. It prevents the blade from getting rusty and chipped. 

 Itomaki-shaped iron Tsuba that has Kozuka and Kougai holes. Itomaki (糸巻) means spool. As its shape looks similar to a spool, this type of Tsuba’s form was named this name. A giant dragon is designed for this Tsuba. This dragon gives us a sharp look, and clouds twine around its elongated body. Initially, a dragon is an imaginary creature found in ancient traditions or myths. Furthermore, it is a symbolic beast of auspicious signs. Its body is likened to nine animals: antlers are deer, the head is a camel, eyes are demons, the neck is a snake, belly is Mizuchi (蛟, mythical animal in Japan which looks like a snake and have a horn and four legs), scales are fish, claws are falcons, palms are tigers, and ears are cows. It was thought that the dragon would reign at the top of all animals because of its odd-looking appearance. This beast design is often seen in sword mountings; it tells us that how much Samurais loved this motif. 

Saya Saya is the scabbard for the Japanese sword.  

KozukaKozuka is a small knife stored in Kozuka Hitsu(groove of the sheath of the Japanese sword).

 The small knife is stored in the Kozuka. Same as the Tsuba, the dragon design is engraved for this Kozuka. This dragon is looking back, twisting its slender body as if it were threaten something. 

Authentication PaperNBTHK TOKUBETSU Hozon Certificate for the blade

 NBTHK, also known as Nihon Bijutsu Touken Hozon Kyokai (the Society for the Preservation of the Japan Art Sword), is one of the oldest Japanese sword appraising organizations in modern-day Japan. They authenticated the blade on August 26th in the first year of Reiwa(2019). They appraised it as Tokubetsu Hozon Touken, the blade especially worth preserving for Japanese society. The purchaser will receive this original certificate as well. We can also translate what is written into English and make a PDF file for your record if you request.

Registration Number :  Tochigi 53312
 The Board of Education in Tochigi prefecture issued a registration paper for this sword . In order to obtain this paper, the sword needs to be traditionally hand forged. With this paper, its owner can legally own an authentic Japanese sword in Japan. This paper will need to be returned to the board of education when the sword being shipped abroad but you can receive a copy of it.

 

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【About us】
Samurai Museum is located in Tokyo, Japan, exhibiting antique artifacts related to the Samurai history. Samurai Museum Shop is the place for those who are interested in Japanese culture and craftsmanship. We deal with antique Samurai swords/armor, traditional crafts made in Japan and so on.

Japanese Sword& Export Process
The Japanese swords we deal with are hand-forged edged swords made in Japan. It was made from the traditional carbon steel called TAMAHAGANE(玉鋼). Samurai Museum is familiar with the proper legal procedure for an antique/ authentic Japanese sword to be exported from Japan. We have sent more than 300 Japanese swords to amazing owners who appreciate its historical value.

Each Japanese sword is registered under the Agency for Cultural Affairs and the Board of Education in Japan.They issue a registration paper for each Japanese sword for its owner in Japan to legally possess it. The Japanese sword with its registration paper means it was traditionally hand-forged in Japan.

To legally export the sword from Japan to other countries, we will have to apply for its permit to the Agency for Cultural Affairs(Bunkacho) and return the original registration paper to the Board of Education. It normally takes around 2-4 weeks to receive this permit after submitting required documents. And we would like you to expect at least 1-1.5 months for your order to arrive at your given address after you ordered. For more detailed info, please click here.

It is allowed for residents in Japan to own authentic Japanese swords without a special license as long as they come with registration papers. Please feel free to contact us if you are a resident of Japan, whether temporarily or permanently. We will also assist you when you leave Japan and need to obtain the export permit.

【Payment Method】
  We accept payment through Stripe(Credit card), PayPal, Apple Pay or ChromePay, all of which are secure payment methods. If you prefer other payment method, please contact us. After confirming your payment, we will apply for an export permit. You may either pay in JPY, USD, AUD, EUR or GBP. The price is set in Japanese Yen. Prices in other currencies are automatically calculated based on the latest exchange rate.

【Shipping】
  We have shipped authentic Japanese swords to the USA, Canada, Mexico, Australia, UK, Germany , France and Hong Kong. If you don’t live in these countries and like to order, please contact us first before making a purchase. We offer Free International Shipping as long as we can send antique Japanese swords by either EMS or FedEx(Canada).

  We normally ship by EMS(Express Mail Service) provided by Japan Post. When we receive an order from the Canada we will use FedEx instead as EMS temporarily stops shipping from Japan to those countries due to COVID-19.

  We will send you a tracking number for your order as soon as we hand it to the post office/FedEx. We will put 100 % insurance on the shipping document without any extra charge. Based on the total amount, there might be a duty tax or other fee for you to pay, depending on the countries. We use package cushioning to protect the item and put it in a PVC pipe, which is one of the most secure packages because of its durability.

  It will normally takes 5-14 days for the item to arrive at your given address after we dispatch it. Time of delivery is estimated as accurately as possible by the carrier but does not take into account any delays beyond our control such as by inclement weather, post office holiday seasons.

  *Please keep in mind that due to the spread of COVID-19, there might be delays in shipping. If you like to know the detail about shipping, please feel free to ask us.

【How to make sure the condition】
Please keep in mind that what you are going to purchase is an antique item. We uploaded high resolution photos for you to check its condition thoroughly. If you like to see more photos with different angles, please feel free to contact us. We will be happy to send them to you so that you can make informed decision. It is essential for us to know that you are happy with your choice of a sword. and we are prepared to use the best of our ability to serve you.

The Art of Nihonto(Japanese Sword)
Samurai’s history is a profound, eloquent legacy of ancient Japanese warriors in which millions of people worldwide are being fascinated. If you like to find out the art of Nihonto, please click here.

A Guide to Japanese Sword Maintenance
After acquiring an genuine Japanese sword, it is also important to know how to take good care of it. Here is the special video for you. Mr. Paul Martin, Japanese sword expert, shows you how to give proper maintenance to your sword. When you purchase a Japanese sword from us, you can get a Free sword maintenance kit, which appears in this video.

MORE ANTIQUE JAPANESE SWORD FOR SALE

READ KATANA ARCHIVE ARTICLE(Episode1-8)

LEARN JAPANESE SWORD TERMINOLOGY

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