{"product_id":"antique-japanese-katana-sword-signed-zenjo-with-koshirae-hozon","title":"Antique Japanese Katana Sword signed Zenjo, with Koshirae - HOZON","description":"\u003csection class=\"product\"\u003e\u003cheader\u003e\u003c\/header\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"specs\"\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignature (Mei):\u003c\/strong\u003e Mumei (unsigned) — attributed \u003cspan lang=\"ja\"\u003e善定\u003c\/span\u003e Zenjō\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAttribution:\u003c\/strong\u003e Zenjō School (Bizen Province)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSchool \/ Tradition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Bizen-den — Osafune lineage\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePeriod \/ Province:\u003c\/strong\u003e Muromachi Period \/ Bizen Province (modern-day Okayama Prefecture)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCertificate:\u003c\/strong\u003e NBTHK Hozon Tōken (保存刀剣) No. 3036400 — Reiwa 7 (2025) — Blade worthy of preservation, attributed Zenjō\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMounting:\u003c\/strong\u003e Period koshirae — akane-nuri saya with dark sageo; inscribed iron tsuba; wisteria-motif fuchi-kashira in shakudō with silver relief; arrow-bundle menuki with gilt\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBlade Length (Nagasa):\u003c\/strong\u003e 70 cm (2 shaku 3 sun strong)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurvature (Sori):\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.4 cm — refined toriizori\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMekugi-ana:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShape:\u003c\/strong\u003e Shinogi-zukuri, extended chu-kissaki, slender mihaba with elegant taper\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHamon:\u003c\/strong\u003e Calm suguha to gentle notare with fine ko-nie — classic refined Bizen character\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBoshi:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ko-maru with composed turnback, hamon flowing naturally into the kissaki\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePresented here is a \u003cstrong\u003ecertified NBTHK Hozon\u003c\/strong\u003e katana of the \u003cstrong\u003eMuromachi period\u003c\/strong\u003e, bearing the prestigious attribution of \u003cstrong\u003eZenjō\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cspan lang=\"ja\"\u003e善定\u003c\/span\u003e) — one of the most respected names within the Bizen Osafune lineage. Measuring a commanding \u003cstrong\u003e70 cm\u003c\/strong\u003e with a restrained \u003cstrong\u003e1.4 cm toriizori\u003c\/strong\u003e, the blade embodies the refined aesthetic vision of mid-to-late Muromachi Bizen craftsmanship: an elongated, slender silhouette that draws the eye from a well-proportioned \u003cem\u003emachi\u003c\/em\u003e through the flowing \u003cem\u003eshinogi-ji\u003c\/em\u003e to an extended \u003cem\u003echu-kissaki\u003c\/em\u003e of distinguished authority. The overall geometry speaks not of desperate battlefield production, but of a blade forged with intention — the work of a master whose hand was guided by centuries of accumulated Osafune tradition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003ehamon\u003c\/em\u003e is a study in quiet mastery. Working in the purest spirit of \u003cstrong\u003eBizen-den\u003c\/strong\u003e, the smith tempered a calm, unhurried \u003cem\u003esuguha\u003c\/em\u003e that transitions at intervals into a gentle \u003cem\u003enotare\u003c\/em\u003e undulation, the boundary line enriched with a sprinkling of fine \u003cem\u003eko-nie\u003c\/em\u003e that catches the light in subtle, shifting constellations along the \u003cem\u003ehabuchi\u003c\/em\u003e. This is a hamon that rewards patient examination — there is no theatrical excess, only the deep, confident restraint of a smith who had nothing to prove. The dark, well-folded \u003cem\u003eji\u003c\/em\u003e provides an ideal ground, its surface intimating the classical Bizen \u003cem\u003emokume-itame\u003c\/em\u003e jigane that established Osafune's international reputation. Hints of \u003cem\u003eshirake\u003c\/em\u003e in the steel body speak to the long lineage connecting this blade to the greatest works of the Kamakura golden age.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003ekissaki\u003c\/em\u003e is particularly distinguished: elongated with a graceful \u003cem\u003efukura\u003c\/em\u003e that curves toward a keen, well-defined point — a shape that resonates with the grand, sweeping \u003cem\u003eōkissaki\u003c\/em\u003e sensibility of the Nanbokuchō era while remaining within the proportional vocabulary of the mature Muromachi sword. The \u003cem\u003eboshi\u003c\/em\u003e shows a composed \u003cem\u003eko-maru\u003c\/em\u003e turnback, the hamon continuing into the point without disruption, the entire transition executed with the fluency of long practice. The two \u003cem\u003emekugi-ana\u003c\/em\u003e in the \u003cem\u003enakago\u003c\/em\u003e confirm the blade's authentic history, and the unsigned tang — its patina deeply aged and its \u003cem\u003eyasurime\u003c\/em\u003e retaining their original character — is precisely what Japan's foremost sword authority examined when awarding this \u003cstrong\u003eHozon\u003c\/strong\u003e certificate in Reiwa 7 (2025).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat the NBTHK's panel of expert judges attributed this unsigned blade to \u003cstrong\u003eZenjō\u003c\/strong\u003e is itself a significant statement: among the many unsigned Muromachi Bizen works that pass through examination, only those whose technical and aesthetic qualities match the documented characteristics of a recognized master school receive a named attribution. This certificate transforms a distinguished mumei blade into a sword with scholarly identity and traceable lineage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"koshirae\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eKoshirae Details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe koshirae accompanying this blade is a cohesive and artistically significant ensemble, unified by a recurring botanical motif of exceptional sculptural delicacy. The thematic centerpiece is the \u003cstrong\u003efuchi-kashira\u003c\/strong\u003e set, worked in \u003cem\u003eshakudō\u003c\/em\u003e and decorated with a trailing \u003cstrong\u003ewisteria vine\u003c\/strong\u003e — \u003cem\u003efuji\u003c\/em\u003e — rendered in high-relief silver. Cascading pods hang from sinuous stems amid precisely chiseled foliage, the naturalistic rendering demonstrating the confident hand of an accomplished \u003cem\u003ekinko\u003c\/em\u003e artisan. Wisteria in Japanese decorative arts carries associations of aristocratic elegance and the poetic autumn season; its presence here elevates the koshirae from mere functional fitting to a statement of cultivated aesthetic sensibility. The \u003cem\u003ekashira\u003c\/em\u003e continues the identical vine motif, the two pieces forming a seamless visual narrative that frames the bearer's grip — a rare sign that this set was conceived as a unified artistic commission rather than an assembled combination.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003emenuki\u003c\/strong\u003e sustain the koshirae's thematic sophistication with a motif of \u003cstrong\u003ebundled arrows\u003c\/strong\u003e, rendered in dark \u003cem\u003eshakudō\u003c\/em\u003e with selective gilt highlights that gleam warmly through the diamonds of the tsuka-maki. The arrow bundle — a classical Japanese symbol of collective strength and martial resolve — provides a meaningful counterpoint to the elegance of the wisteria fittings, the ensemble as a whole reflecting the dual nature of samurai culture: warrior prowess tempered by refined aesthetic sensibility.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003etsuba\u003c\/strong\u003e is an iron piece of \u003cem\u003ekaku-mokko\u003c\/em\u003e form — a subtly lobed, near-square shape — with a deeply pitted, aged \u003cem\u003etsuchime\u003c\/em\u003e surface that carries a rich, matte black patina. Most remarkably, the face of the tsuba bears incised \u003cstrong\u003ekanji inscription\u003c\/strong\u003e, indicating this is a signed or dedicatory tsuba of identifiable provenance — an independent artifact of scholarly interest in its own right. The solid brass \u003cstrong\u003ehabaki\u003c\/strong\u003e is finished with a precise \u003cem\u003ekiri yasurime\u003c\/em\u003e crosshatch pattern, its warm golden surface providing a luminous transition between the dark iron tsuba and the polished blade above.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003esaya\u003c\/strong\u003e is lacquered in a warm reddish-brown tone — an aged \u003cem\u003eakane\u003c\/em\u003e urushi finish that has developed a rich, complex patina over the centuries. Its surface shows the honest wear of genuine age: minor variations in the lacquer speak of decades of careful handling and storage. The dark blue-black \u003cem\u003esageo\u003c\/em\u003e silk cord, tied at the \u003cem\u003ekurikata\u003c\/em\u003e, retains its original fiber with characteristic aged texture. The \u003cstrong\u003etsuka\u003c\/strong\u003e presents black silk \u003cem\u003etsuka-ito\u003c\/em\u003e in tight \u003cem\u003ehishi-maki\u003c\/em\u003e braid over luminous white \u003cem\u003esame\u003c\/em\u003e, the rayskin's nodular surface visible through each diamond aperture — a classically proportioned handle that sits with authority in the hand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"smith-background\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAttribution: Zenjō School\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eZenjō\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cspan lang=\"ja\"\u003e善定\u003c\/span\u003e) is a name borne by several generations of Bizen Osafune smiths active from the late Kamakura through the Muromachi period. Working within the Osafune village complex alongside the great contemporaneous lineages — Kagemitsu, Kanemitsu, Nagayoshi — the Zenjō smiths produced blades that, at their finest, display the refined Bizen characteristics that have made Osafune work the benchmark of Japanese sword connoisseurship for seven centuries. Their hamon tend toward the calmer, more contemplative end of the Bizen spectrum: elegant \u003cem\u003esuguha\u003c\/em\u003e and gentle \u003cem\u003enotare\u003c\/em\u003e rather than the flamboyant \u003cem\u003emidare\u003c\/em\u003e of some contemporaries, a stylistic choice that reflects a deep, assured mastery of the tradition rather than a desire to impress through ornamental excess.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe attribution of an unsigned blade to Zenjō by the NBTHK rests on the examination of \u003cem\u003ejigane\u003c\/em\u003e quality, hamon character, \u003cem\u003enagasa\u003c\/em\u003e geometry, \u003cem\u003enakago\u003c\/em\u003e shape, and \u003cem\u003eyasurime\u003c\/em\u003e style — a comprehensive forensic reading of the blade's material evidence against the documented corpus of confirmed Zenjō works. That this blade received its Hozon attribution in 2025 speaks to the continued scholarly engagement with Bizen sword studies and the enduring relevance of the Osafune tradition to contemporary connoisseurs and collectors worldwide.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"school-history\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSchool History: Bizen Osafune Tradition\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eOsafune School\u003c\/strong\u003e in Bizen Province — the heartland of the modern-day Okayama Prefecture — represented the most prolific and sustained center of sword production in Japanese history. For over five centuries, from the mid-Kamakura period through the late Muromachi era, the village of Osafune was home to a constellation of smithing lineages whose names became synonymous with excellence: Mitsutada, Nagamitsu, Kagemitsu, Kanemitsu, Motoshige, Chikakage, and many more. The \u003cstrong\u003eBizen-den\u003c\/strong\u003e tradition they collectively developed and transmitted was characterized by a distinctive approach to steel folding that produced the characteristic \u003cem\u003emokume-itame\u003c\/em\u003e jigane, often displaying the mysterious \u003cem\u003eutsuri\u003c\/em\u003e reflection effect, and a tempering philosophy that favored dynamic yet controlled hamon with brilliant \u003cem\u003enie\u003c\/em\u003e activity along a well-defined \u003cem\u003ehabuchi\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Muromachi period — the era of this blade — was a time of both extraordinary productivity and profound artistic evolution for Bizen. The upheavals of the Nanbokuchō civil wars had stimulated demand for swords on an unprecedented scale, and Osafune responded by expanding its smithing community while sustaining the quality standards that had made its blades Japan's most sought-after swords. By the mid-Muromachi period, a more refined aesthetic sensibility had emerged: blades with elegant proportions, restrained hamon, and subtle jigane that rewarded the educated eye above all — works like the present blade, where the mastery resides not in spectacle but in the quiet, inexhaustible depth of classical Bizen technique.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Okayama prefectural registration accompanying this blade — issued in 2003 — confirms its long presence in legitimate Japanese collecting circles, while the fresh NBTHK Hozon certificate of 2025 ensures that this sword enters the international market fully documented and authoritatively certified. Together, these credentials place the present katana among the most transparently provenienced Muromachi Bizen works available to the discerning collector today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e","brand":"Tokyo Nihonto","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51212881461415,"sku":"69a542d980082","price":4968.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0763\/6792\/1319\/files\/Katana69_0034_GenerativeFill4.jpg?v=1786767939","url":"https:\/\/minkatana.shop\/products\/antique-japanese-katana-sword-signed-zenjo-with-koshirae-hozon","provider":"MINKATANA","version":"1.0","type":"link"}