説明

Antique Japanese Sword Katana Signed by Yasutsuna with Hozon Certificate 【Description】 This blade was signed by Kii Koku Yasutsuna(紀伊国康綱), who belonged to Kishu Ishido school. He was active in sword-forging during the Kanbun era(early Edo period: 1661-1673 ). He was an apprentice of the first-gen Bitchu no Kami Tachibana Yasuhiro. Kii koku is the name of the province located in Wakayama prefecture today. He is known as one of the most famous swordsmiths from the Kishu Ishido school during the early Edo period. There was also a record of Yasutsuna forging in Osaka. Ishido school was initially founded by Sukenaga, an offspring of Ichimonji Sukemune, who had created Fukuoka Ichimonji school in Bizen province(Today’s Okayama prefecture). During 1492-1501(Mid Muromachi period), Sukenaga and his school moved from Bizen province to Omi 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. It was common for a swordsmith to name add where he lived to his maker’s name back then. As of the early Edo period, many Ishido swordsmiths in Omi province moved to other parts of Japan. There are four major branches: Edo, Osaka, Kishu(Wakayama prefecture), and Chikuzen(Fukuoka prefecture). Omi Ishido school was the origin of whole other Ishido branches that flourished during the Edo period. Following this trend, Bitchu no Kami Tachibana Yasuhiro, the master of Yasutsuna, moved to Kishu province from Omi province. It is said that Yasuhiro was the founder of Kishu Ishido school. Yasutsuna and his master forged swords near Wakayama castle in Kishu province. Judging from the fact that Yasutsuna worked for this skilled master, his craftsmanship must also have been excellent. 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) : 2.1 cm(0.82 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. This Fuchi Kashira has glossy black color. It does not have any ornamental decorations such as gold or silver inlay. However, the color of the material itself is beautiful, and it goes well with the texture of the Tsukamaki thread (thread of the handle). Although there are minor damages due to aging or its history, we hope you would enjoy these conditions as a part of this sword’s story. Tsuka and Menuki : Tsuka is the handle of the Japanese sword and Menuki is its decoration. It is challenging to judge the motif of this Menuki. Seeing its shape through the gaps of the Tsukamaki thread, its gold part looks similar to a hangar. However, the black ring-shaped objects are wrapped around it. That is why it is not easy to determine what kind of tool this is. It might be a tool that was once used in daily life or used in a specific situation. 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. Futatsu-Mokkou-shaped Ts