-, 64th Session — Designated November 6, 2018
, : Bishū Yasumoto (備州長船安元)
Measurements 69.9 cm, 2.2 cm, 2.75 cm, 1.8 cm, 2.7 cm, 18.2 cm, 0.3 cm
Description Keijo: with ; standard with somewhat evident taper from base to tip; moderate ; rather deep ; compact . : tending toward , with scattered ; very fine adhering thickly; fine entering; standing faintly. : as the main tone, mixed with , , and ; with and ; prevailing with ; fine and appearing; the shows a tendency to tighten and is bright and clear. : On the , with a rounded turnback; on the , with turnback. : On both sides, double grooves () carved kaki-nagashi. : Almost ; ; file marks are shallow ; two ; on the , a long signature is placed toward the , beginning two characters above the first .
Artisan Yasumoto
Era Late period to the Ōei era
Explanation Yasumoto is recorded in the reference works on signatures () as a smith in the school of Yasumitsu; however, extant works that can be confirmed are exceedingly rare—including the present blade—so he remains a swordsmith about whom much is not yet clear.
This shows a well-condensed forging of mixed with , in which very fine adheres thickly, fine appears, and is visible. The , while fundamentally , incorporates elements; and enter, adheres well, and fine is seen, with a bright, clear . The ’s form—with an evident difference between the widths at the base and the tip—is truly excellent, presenting a shape that reflects its period. Both and are (sound and well-preserved). As a work by Yasumoto—of whom there are few surviving examples—this blade, together with the distinctive features of its , constitutes valuable material for research into Yasumoto’s style.
by Sasaki Hiroshi (佐々木洋)
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