AS22316 Tanto:Bizen Suke Munetsugu(NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Token)

Ordering number: AS22316
Tanto in Shirasaya with Koshirae(NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Token)

Signature: Bizen Suke Munetsugu
備前介宗次
Kaei 6 Nen 12 Gatsu Hi
嘉永六年十二月日
shinshinto :Jyo Jyo Saku:Musashi.
(We divide 4 sections for each sword as Saijyo saku, Jyojyo saku Jyo saku and regular saku)
This sword belongs to Jyo Jyo saku ranking.
habaki: Copper single Habaki
The blade was polished.
Blade length:26.3cm or 10.35inches.
Sori:0.0cm or 0.0inches.
Mekugi:1
Width at the hamachi:2.69cm or 1.05inches.
Kasane:0.89cm or 0.35inches.
The weight of the sword:295grams
Era: December, Kaei 6, the Edo period
Shape: The blade is broad and very thick: Yoroi Doshi work.
Jigane: Koitamehada is grained really well with Jinie. Beautiful surface.
Hamon: Niedeki gunomemidare is mixed with Choji midare. Boshi turns back round and ends with Hakikake. Sunagashi works well in Hachu.

Koshirae: Kairagi
Kogai: Shakudo-Nanako plate. Gold Makie box is engraved.

Special feature: Bizensuke Munetsugu was born in Oushu Shirakawa. He is a younger brother of Koyama Munehira. He learned sword making at the place of Kato Tsunahide and called himself as Koyama Sobei, and his smith-name was Issensai, or Seiryosai. He made a lot of Saidan-Mei works with great sharpness. He trained only Bizenden to acomplish that perfection without fatal flaws or defects. It has to be his unique nature as a swordsmith. This work has Jigane with Ohada: very different from the normal style of Munetsugu.

From Aoi Art: When Munetsugu lived in Yotuya Samoncho, Kiyomaro opened his shop in Yotsuya Igamachi, and Kiyomaro never appeared for greeting, so Munetsugu got angry to give him a letter of challenge. Most Koyama Munetsug’s works are flawless. But this work’s Soshuden-ish Itamehada Jigane is very rare and we truly recommend this nice Yoroi-doshi-ish shape.

Background: In the late Edo period, Japan was divided into two groups: for and against Emperor. That battle increased the number of productions of Nihonto. It was not so popular to make Tanto by then, but gradually it became more often to make Tanto after that and many swordsmiths started to have motivation to make Tanto. This work is a Tanto with well-grained Jigane and we can see Jihada very well. Generally Munetsugu makes beautiful plain surface but this work has Itamehada.

NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Token paper
Aoi Art estimation paper: whole Oshigata by Ayaka Tsuruta
*There is small rust on Mune. Polish is available additionally at 20,000JPY.