AS19634 Katana: Bishu Osafune Sukesada saku

Ordering number: AS19634
Katana in Shirasaya with Koshirae. (Consignment sale)

Signature : Bishu Osafune Sukesada saku
Tensho 7 nen 8 Gatsuhi

AOI Bijyutasu Syosin Kanteisyo NBTHK Hozon Token
(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 : Gold foiled copper single Habaki.
Blade length : 70.2 cm or 27.6 inches.
Sori : 1.7 cm or 0.66 inches.
Mekugi : 1
Width at the hamachi : 3.1 cm or 1.22 inches.
Width at the Kissaki : 2.1 cm or 0.8 inches.
Kasane :0.8 cm or 0.31 inches.
The weight of the sword 810 grams.
Era : Muromachi period Tensho 7th (1579years)
Shape : Wide and thick blade, deep Sori and longer Kissaki
Jigane :Ko-itame-hada and Ko-Mokume-hada well grain. Jinie attached and there is
Utsuri.
Hamon :Nie-deki Choji-midare, some parts are permeated so difficult to see
the moving of Hamon, but we can see Choji Notare and Kinsuji
work. There is small Kizu around Monouchi of frontside.

Special feature: In the Muromachi period, Harima, Mimasaka and Bizen
province had been prospered under the protection of the
Akamatsu family. Above all, Bizen province has turned out a
great many talented swordsmiths. Supplying the demand of
the Age of Provincial Wars in Japan, a large number of
swords were made there in the late Muromachi period.
Sukesada has become a synonym for the Osafune School
though the founder was Mitsutada. It is regrettable that a
deluge devastated the School in Osafune districts in Tensho
era. Such is the way of the world that even the Osafune
School, that prosperity and power had been unparalleled,
perished in this way in the deluge. Old swords are all that is
left to tell how once the sword smiths lived.

Koshirae : high class Navi officer Gunto Koshirae,
From Aoi Art: This sword has Mei as Bishu Osafune Sukesada, was made around August of 1579 but has only 1 Mekugi hole and keeping the Ubu. Bishu sword is one of mass production and Osafune is also one of big sword maker factory. It was wartime
so it was in situation which need a lot of swords as soon as possible. But in Edo period, it was popular with Samurai and Daimyo even it is mass production. This sword has little Kizu and also burned but it still keep the shape of Muromachi period and it has only 1 Mekugi hole, it mean the sword was keep very carefully by owners. The sword was made in Muromachi period but in Koshirae which was made around WWII. We think the last owner bring the sword which was family treasure with new Koshirae to battlefield. Most of the Navi swords are gone with the owners in the sea so we also think the last owner was survived

NBTHK Hozon Token
Aoi Art estimation paper: whole Oshigata.