Description

It has appeared, it has appeared! Due to being carefully hidden in an air-raid shelter during the war, there is some damage from humidity, but a masterpiece of noble birth has emerged. The author of this sword, the famous first generation Hizen no Kuni Dewa no Kami Yukihiro, was the grandson of the master of Keicho Shinto, the first generation Hizen no Kuni Tadayoshi. He was particularly favored by the Daimyo Nabeshima Katsushige and ordered to create swords exclusively for the lord's own use, receiving the honor of Otome-kaji. He was also the younger brother of the famous Kawachi no Daijo Masahiro, who served as the guardian for Omi no Daijo Tadahiro (the son of the first generation Tadayoshi). In the 3rd year of Kanbun (1663) of the Edo period (363 years ago), he received the title of Dewa no Kami. Furthermore, Yukihiro was a swordsmith with a wonderful and vigorous desire for learning; in the 3rd year of Keian (1650) (376 years ago), he went to Nagasaki to learn the Oranda-kitae (Dutch forging) method from Yakushiji Shirouemon. This sword is one of the very few that bears the soe-mei of Oranda-kitae. Additionally, the reason "Ichimonji" is inscribed in the mei is because he later learned the Bizen-den forging method from smiths of the Ishido school. He became a hired smith for the Nabeshima family of the Saga Takeo Domain. Among the works of Dewa no Kami Yukihiro, pieces with both the "Ichimonji" and "Oranda-kitae" soe-mei are almost non-existent, making this sword wonderfully and academically precious. The sugata of this sword shows a fine form with a distinct difference between the moto-mihaba and saki-mihaba. The jigane is a well-packed ko-itame with fine ji-nie appearing on the ji, presenting a high-quality metal. The hamon is a nie-deki gunome-ba in the style of Fukuoka Ichimonji, featuring gunome-midare and gunome-o-midare; within the blade, the nie is concentrated with many ashi, firing a magnificent and spirited edge. This sword has been cherished for generations in an old family, but because it was hidden in an air-raid shelter during the war, there is some damage as you can see. We have received it with the request to pass it on at a low price to someone who will cherish it in the future. Because of the damage to the ji and ha from its time in the shelter, please name it "Meibutsu Air-Raid Shelter Hizen no Kuni Yukihiro" and treasure it as a living witness of history. For this reason, we are offering it at a special, bargain price. Please enjoy this masterpiece by Hizen Ichimonji Dewa no Kami Yukihiro, a representative smith of Hizen-to famous as a wazamono, featuring the precious soe-mei of Oranda-kitae.