説明
Antique Japanese Sword Katana attributed to Shitahara Kinzogan Mei Sasa no Tsuyu with NBTHK
Hozon
Certificate
【Description】
This blade was attributed to Shitahara school during the early Edo Period (Mid-Late 17th century).Shitahara is also the name of the area in Hachioji city in today’s Tokyo.
It is said that Yamamoto Norishige founded Shitahara school, and it thrived from the end of the Muromachi period to the late Edo period (Late 16th century to Late 19th century).
The swordsmiths who lived in Shitahara were called Shitahara Kaji. They were the group of swordsmiths under the Hojo clan’s auspicious, powerful feudal line during the late Muromachi period first. It is said that the first-gen Yasushige was the son of Chikashige, another prominent figure in this school. The first-gen Yasushige originally signed Chikashige as his first maker’s name. However, he changed it to Yasushige after receiving 康 (Yasu) letter from Hojo Ujiyasu, a famous feudal lord he served.
After the Toyotomi clan destroyed the Hojo clan in the Azuchi Momoyama period, Shitahara started to serve the Tokugawa clan as Okakae Kaji, swordsmiths exclusively working for a specific feudal family.
Most of the Shitahara swordsmith’s real sir name was Yamamoto. They especially flourished during the late Muromachi period-early Edo period. They kept forging for the Tokugawa clan until the end of the Edo period. Among the Bushu Shitahara group, Yasushige was one of the most famous makers.
One of the most distinctive characteristics of the blades forged by Shitahara Kaji is Jorinmoku (如輪杢), which looks like a whirlpool on Hada (the steel surface of the Japanese sword).
Kinzogan Mei & Sasa no Tsuyu
This blade has a Kinzogan Mei on one side of the tang. Kinzogan Mei is a kind of signature chiseled with pure gold on each letter. It was a luxury to put a Kinzogan Mei because of the cost of pure gold and skilled labor.
For this particular blade, it has Sasa no Tsuyu (笹乃露). Sasa no Tsuyu literally means dew from Bamboo grass. In Japanese sword terminology, this word means the blade went through test cutting and proved to be super sharp. One can cut his enemy’s head as if dew dropped from a bamboo grass. In another word, with this blade, one can cut it effortlessly.
This blade is appraised as a
Hozon Touken
(保存刀剣) issued by NBTHK (Nihon Bijutsu Touken Hozon Kyokai: 日本美術刀剣保存協会). This authentication paper was only given to authentic Japanese swords, well preserved and high quality with artistic value.
【Blade】
Cutting Edge Length (Nagasa)
:
73.7
cm ( 29.0 inches)
Curvature (Sori)
:
1.6 cm (0.63 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.
Nakago
:
Nakago is the tang of the Japanese sword.
Japanese swordsmiths left the black rust on the tang because it prevents red rust while the tang is in its handle. And the discoloration of the tang was created over time, and it 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 (Scabbard), Tsuka (Handle), Tsuba (Handguard).
Fuchi-Kashira
:
A pair of matching sword fittings that cover the upper and bottom parts of its sword hilt.
If you focus on the side of the Fuchi part, you will find that there is an engraved inscription. According to this signature, its maker is Souju(宗壽). This inscription reminds us of a famous metalworker from the Yokoya (横谷) school; however, there is no proof.
The motifs of this Fuchi Kashira are horses. The horses are depicted in different ways, with their heads raised or sitting on the ground and resting, and their eyes are colored with golden paint. Horses have been around human life for a long time, not only as our food but also for transportation or carriage of luggage. In
