Lost NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Certificate

[Bart]

Bit of back story. Several years ago I bough a wakizashi without papers, but was told it was awarded TH Certificate in the past.

 

Having spoken with the original owner, he confirmed that the blade had TH Certificate, but sadly it was lost/misplaced several years ago on one of the shows in the US.

 

I research the subject on lost certificates and even got in touch with my local NBTHK branch, so I know its impossible to get a duplicate without resubmitting the blade to shinsa again.

 

In the past I found that several collectors, for one reason or the other, have NBTHK or similar certificates without the blades. In my last effort to try to locate the missing certificate I would like to kindly ask any members (particularly in the US) who have collection of NBTHK Certificates to check if they might have my missing one. I know it's a long shot but it's worth a try.

 

Mei is:

長門守藤原氏重 - Nagato no Kami Fujiwara Ujishige

尾州名護屋住 - Bishu Nagoya Ju

 

Thank you for all those that will have a look, I appreciate it.

[Mikaveli]

Do you have a picture of the nakago / Tang?

 

I don't know how common the smith is, but maybe someone is more likely to recognise a picture of the sword or its tang (matching the cert).

[Bart]

On 2/28/2025 at 2:03 PM, Mikaveli said:

Do you have a picture of the nakago / Tang?

 

I don't know how common the smith is, but maybe someone is more likely to recognise a picture of the sword or its tang (matching the cert).

It's not a common known smith, according to my research it's either unlisted smith or signature. Below is the picture of the tang.

 

[Jacques]

I could be wrong, but I don't think this swordsmith exists.

[Shugyosha]

I don't often agree with you Jacques, but I think you're right. There's no smith with this title listed in Sesko's Compendium which is generally pretty accurate and I feel that it's unlikely that smiths who are awarded honorary titles would be outside the meikan. All of the Ujishige that Sesko lists with titles worked in Harima and were either Yamato no kami or Yamato daijo.

 

@Bart - I think you have to ask yourself, if this was an unlisted smith, how was it awarded papers by the NBTHK because they would have had to compare the mei and workmanship to an authenticated example from somewhere before it could be confirmed as shoshin.

 

[Lexvdjagt]

29 minutes ago, Shugyosha said:

I don't often agree with you Jacques, but I think you're right. There's no smith with this title listed in Sesko's Compendium which is generally pretty accurate and I feel that it's unlikely that smiths who are awarded honorary titles would be outside the meikan. All of the Ujishige that Sesko lists with titles worked in Harima and were either Yamato no kami or Yamato daijo.

 

@Bart - I think you have to ask yourself, if this was an unlisted smith, how was it awarded papers by the NBTHK because they would have had to compare the mei and workmanship to an authenticated example from somewhere before it could be confirmed as shoshin.

 

I encountered a similar case of a seemingly unlisted smith who still received Hozon papers. The smith their name is Taira Shigemori but I have not been able to find any trace of him or his signature. The Hozon papers are older, which might have something to do with it. But he was not listed in any major Taira Takada books.

[Bart]

27 minutes ago, Shugyosha said:

 

@Bart

I am definitely not an expert in the field, however without dropping names the owner of this wakizashi was, so don't have a reason not to believe what he said. I don't think there is every single smiths and every single signature ever listed documented. I don't think that's possible, in each case they would have to start somewhere.

 

Correct me if I am wrong but the a NBTHK certificate would only state that sword is genuine based on the craftsmanship and if there was no other signature to compare to they wouldn't refuse it because of it. And as Lexvdjagt just mentioned he had similar example.

[Scogg]

35 minutes ago, Lexvdjagt said:

I encountered a similar case of a seemingly unlisted smith who still received Hozon papers. The smith their name is Taira Shigemori but I have not been able to find any trace of him or his signature. The Hozon papers are older, which might have something to do with it. But he was not listed in any major Taira Takada books.

Sorry for being a bit off topic.

I was able to find a Taira Shigemori of Bungo listed in my translation of the Fujishiro books, although very little info is included. Same smith perhaps? Below in quotes:

"SHIGEMORI TAIRA [MEIÔ 1492 BUNGO] SUEKOTÔ CHÛSAKU Signature: TAIRA SHIGEMORI"

[Mikaveli]

From what I've found, this sword was sold by a reputable dealer in July 2022 (no papers, nor claim).

 

Then, by April 2023, it was for sale again, this time claiming the papers had been lost by a previous collector...

 

9 months seems like a short timeframe for getting a sword through shinsha and returned with TokuHo (only to immediately lose the certificate)?

 

The only reference to this mei, that I can find in reference books or on the net, is this sword.

[Bugyotsuji]

Slightly off-topic but I have a Tantō with NBTHK hozon to an unlisted smith. There is probably no way they could have compared the Mei as part of their Shinsa process.

(Just to say such a thing is possible.)

[Lexvdjagt]

30 minutes ago, Scogg said:

Sorry for being a bit off topic.

I was able to find a Taira Shigemori of Bungo listed in my translation of the Fujishiro books, although very little info is included. Same smith perhaps? Below in quotes:

"SHIGEMORI TAIRA [MEIÔ 1492 BUNGO] SUEKOTÔ CHÛSAKU Signature: TAIRA SHIGEMORI"

Apologies for being off-topic as well. But this could possibly be the same smith. Although the Katana I posted is signed and dated 1535, which might indicate it to be possibly a later generation. But still thank you Sam for the input! 

[Jussi Ekholm]

Nagato no Kami is a very rare title. I would assume the smith here should have been Owari province smith Ujikumo (氏雲), as he is one of the very few smiths that had this title.

[Mikaveli]

13 minutes ago, Jussi Ekholm said:

Nagato no Kami is a very rare title. I would assume the smith here should have been Owari province smith Ujikumo (氏雲), as he is one of the very few smiths that had this title.

Both the previous two sellers said it was an Owari blade.

 

(I thought 備州 - bishu - was Owari?)

[Jussi Ekholm]

Ujikumo seems to be very rare smith. Unfortunately I can only find this one from my books fast, this is in the collection of Atsuta Jingū and it is Aichi Prefecture Bunkazai. It was dedicated to Atsuta Jingū in 1608.

 

 

I believe Owari province is written with 尾張 and it turns as Bishū 尾州.

 

Personally I would be cautious about the signature of the blade in the opening post.

[Jacques]

There was a Taira Shigemori, but he wasn't a swordsmith. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taira_no_Shigemori

[Franco]

6 hours ago, Bugyotsuji said:

Slightly off-topic but I have a Tantō with NBTHK hozon to an unlisted smith. There is probably no way they could have compared the Mei as part of their Shinsa process.

(Just to say such a thing is possible.)

 

https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/8954-smiths-database-hawleysnihontoclubsho-shin-question/#findComment-90492

 

Btw, if memory serves this unlisted sword smith's sword received a well deserved TH origami. 

 

https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/8954-smiths-database-hawleysnihontoclubsho-shin-question/#findComment-90513

 

 

"The sword confirms the mei and not the other way around!" 

 

[Scogg]

17 hours ago, Jacques said:

There was a Taira Shigemori, but he wasn't a swordsmith. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taira_no_Shigemori

A swordsmith who signed Taira Shigemori is listed in my translation of FUJISHIRO KOTO HEN book.
Does anyone who has a copy and can speak Japanese confirm? I only have the translation and it does not include oshigata. 

Page 502
SHIGEMORI TAIRA [MEIÔ 1492 BUNGO] SUEKOTÔ CHÛSAKU Signature: TAIRA SHIGEMORI

Index
SHIGEMORI TAIRA [MEIO 1492 BUNGO 221
 

[nulldevice]

33 minutes ago, Scogg said:

A swordsmith who signed Taira Shigemori is listed in my translation of FUJISHIRO KOTO HEN book.
Does anyone who has a copy and can speak Japanese confirm? I only have the translation and it does not include oshigata. 

Page 502
SHIGEMORI TAIRA [MEIÔ 1492 BUNGO] SUEKOTÔ CHÛSAKU Signature: TAIRA SHIGEMORI

Index
SHIGEMORI TAIRA [MEIO 1492 BUNGO 221
 

 

There isn't an accompanying oshigata on that page in the books. 

[Jacques]

4 hours ago, Scogg said:

A swordsmith who signed Taira Shigemori is listed in my translation of FUJISHIRO KOTO HEN book.
Does anyone who has a copy and can speak Japanese confirm? I only have the translation and it does not include oshigata. 

Page 502
SHIGEMORI TAIRA [MEIÔ 1492 BUNGO] SUEKOTÔ CHÛSAKU Signature: TAIRA SHIGEMORI

Index
SHIGEMORI TAIRA [MEIO 1492 BUNGO 221
 

Not the same kanji Shige (鎮)  

[Scogg]

Thank you for clearing that up for me, Jacques 

Much appreciated,
Cheers,
-Sam

[Jussi Ekholm]

I was about to write same thing as Jacques above. It is sometimes difficult as the romanization can feature lots of various names. I also think the English translation of Fujishiro possibly has a mistranslation in this case, I believe the smith 鎮盛 is read as Shizumori as swordsmith name.

 

Blade that Lex posted is Shigemori 重盛 - however while I cannot find that particular smith anywhere I think the name is plausible as both 盛 Mori and 重 Shige are very common in Bungo signatures. I have lots of books including the Bungo book & Nihontō Meikan, however this particular Shigemori is not found in either.

[Bart]

On 3/10/2025 at 4:43 PM, Jussi Ekholm said:

 

Personally I would be cautious about the signature of the blade in the opening post.

Cautious in what way? Don't quite get what you are trying to say here.

[Jacques]

29 minutes ago, Bart said:

Cautious in what way? Don't quite get what you are trying to say here.

No one saw the tokuho, unlike Taira Shigemori's hozon

[Franco]

1 hour ago, Jussi Ekholm said:

 I also think the English translation of Fujishiro possibly has a mistranslation in this case, I believe the smith 鎮盛 is read as Shizumori as swordsmith name.

 

Indeed, AFU translations as well as other translated publications do have mistranslations. And it worked in both directions where somebody's Japanese wasn't quite right or somebody's English wasn't quite right, ending with something getting lost in translation. That, on top of the fact that the study of nihonto is difficult to begin with and translators are sometimes not advanced in their knowledge of nihonto.  This is one reason why it is essential to double and even triple check your findings with multiple sources.