説明

Antique Japanese Sword Katana Signed by Fuyuhiro with Hozon Certificate 【Description】 This blade was signed by Jyakushu Jyu Fuyuhiro (若州住冬廣) during SHINTO era (the early-mid Edo period:1596-1763), according to NBTHK’s appraisal. Jyakushu is also known as Wakasa, a province in today’s Fukui prefecture. And, Jyu means living in Japanese. That indicates that he lived in this province when he forged this blade. It is said that the first generation Fuyuhiro was the son of the second-gen Soshu Hirotsugu. The second-gen Soshu Hirotsugu was one of the most well-known swordsmiths in the Soshu region(today’s Kanagawa prefecture). The first-gen Fuyuhiro moved to Wakasa province(today’s Fukui prefecture) after learning sword forging techniques/tradition from his master (Approx. 1460: mid-Muromachi period). Firstly, he focused on forging swords with the Soshu Den tradition, one of the five well-established sword-forging traditions (Gokaden). However, he gradually mixed it with Bizen tradition, another tradition of the five. According to historical documents, the swordsmith’s name Fuyuhiro lasted 17 generations from the Muromachi period(1460-)to the end of the Edo period(-1868). Judging from how it was signed (Jyakushu Jyu Fuyuhiro), only two Fuyuhiro were active during the early-mid Edo period. We assume either the later-gen Fuyuhiro in the Jyokyo era ( 1684-1688 ) or the other one in the Genroku era ( 1688-1704 ) forged this blade. During the Sengoku period(Warring state period), the generations of Fuyuhiro forged swords for high-class Samurai or feudal lords because of the popularity and the high demand for weapons. There are records of the swordsmith name Fuhiro forging in Bizen, Bingo, Izumo, and Hoki province in the Edo period. This blade is appraised as a Hozon Token(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 with artistic value. 【 Blade】 Cutting Edge Length(Nagasa) : 69.6 cm(27.4 inches) Curvature(Sori) : 1.5 cm( 0.59 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. As this Fuchi Kashira is made from glossy metal, its matches well with the Tsukamaki thread of this sword’s handle. It looks this metal part has a smooth texture and would be agreeable to the touch. Tsuka and Menuki : Tsuka is the handle of the Japanese sword and Menuki is its decoration. Although it is challenging to see the details due to its color, we estimate this Menuki’s motif is probably a combination of flowers. Plants patterns are often designed for sword mountings. For example, popular motifs are cherry blossom, Japanese apricot blossom, chrysanthemum, peony flowers, etcetera. Some of them have been treated as auspicious designs. There are also plant motifs that are related to some beliefs. Tsuba and Habaki : Tsuba 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. This antique Tsuba has Kozuka and Kougai holes. It is challenging to judge the theme of its design. We guess four different motifs are engraved in four directions, and each motif might be a kind of daily life tool.