AS21087 Tanto : Bishu Osafune Kiyomitsu

Tanto in Shirasaya with Koshirae.(NBTHK Hozon Token)

Signature : Bishu Osafune Kiyomitsu 備州長船清光
Eiroku ? Nen 8 Gatsu Hi

Sayagaki: Kiyomitsu

Explanation: Bisyu Osafune Kiyomitsu made this Tanto in August Eiroku ? year.

(We divide 4 sections for each sword as Saijyo saku, Jyo-jyo saku Jyo saku and regular
saku)
This sword belongs to Jyo saku ranking.
The blade was polished.
Habaki : copper single habaki
Blade length : 26.7 cm or 14.44 inches.
Sori : 0.2 cm or 0.07 inches.
Mekugi :1
Width at the hamachi : 2.29cm or 0.90 inches.
Kasane : 0.57 cm or 0.22 inches.
The weight of the sword 170grams.
Era : Late Muromachi period Eiroku 10 nen? 1568。
Shape : The blade is regular widthm thickness with very small sori.
Jigane :Itame hada and mokume hada mixed with jinie attach utsyri appear.
Hamon :Nie deki suguha with raster thick nioikuchi and ashi, Komaru Bo-shi.

Special feature:At the end of the Muromachi period, in Bizen,Sukesada and Kiyomitsu
produced a mass productive items , and the Bishu name is treated as mass productive
sword.but this Tanto is nice Jigane an
d also one hole. Probably from the end of muromachi period, the Tanto has been kept so long time.

Koshirae : Aikichi Koshirae:
Saya :On the red color saya, family crest is painted. on the middle part, black is himeji
saya.
Menuki : A dragon is engraved with gold color.

From Aoi Art: It’s been about 50 years, but Tanto is said to be suguha deki kazuuchi mono
with a deep nioikuchi of Hamon, which makes Jigane attractive, but ithe quality iis
much better than sukesada.
It is thought that even one mekugi ana of nakago has been carefully preserved.

NBTHK Hozon Token
Aoi Art estimation paper: whole Oshigata.