-, 50th Session — Designated October 15, 2004
, : Hasebe (長谷部)
by Takeshi (猛)
Measurements 31.4 cm, 0.6 cm, 2.9 cm, 9.0 cm, slight
Description Keijō: construction with ; wide ; proportions; thin ; and a somewhat shallow . : mixed with , flowing , and ; tending toward ; with thickly adhering and appearing . : Broadly tempered; mixed with , with and ; deep with thickly adhering ; and appear; around the there are , , and —in this area it takes on a partial -like aspect; overall, the shows a tendency toward (subdued). : On the , turning back in with at the point; on the , it enters in and forms with a long that connects into the . : None. : ; is a shallow ; are ; two ; unsigned.
Artisan Hasebe school (長谷部派)
Era period
Explanation The Hasebe lineage, together with the lineage, represents a principal current among the Yamashiro smiths of the period. Within this group, Kunishige and Kuninobu are especially well known. The school is regarded as particularly adept at forging (full-tempered) blades—an approach that emerged in this period—though there are also examples in which the temper is based on with as the prevailing feature, producing a -ba of that type.
This has an tang and is unsigned, and it is traditionally transmitted as a work of the Hasebe school. Although only the area around the takes on a -like tendency—so it cannot be called a complete —the prominent -based temper, the tendency within the , and the construction showing an extremely thin are all points through which one may perceive characteristic features of this school.
