MITSUMORI WORKED DURING THE PERIOD OF KO-AN (1278). HE HAILED FROM THE "KAMAKURA HATAKEDA" SCHOOL, FOUNDED BY "MORICHIKA" IN APPROXIMATELY KEN-EI PERIOD 1206 AD. HE WAS OF THE "FUKUOKA ICHIMONJI GROUP". "MORIIYE", SUCCEEDED HIS GRANDFATHER, AND SENSEI "MORICHIKA", AND EVEN SIGNED A BLADE "MORICHIKA MAGO MORIIYE" (STUDENT OF THE FOUNDER, MORICHIKA)! "MITSUMORI", WAS HIS FOREMOST STUDENT, AND SPENT THE MAJORITY OF HIS CAREER AS THE CHIEF ASSISTANT TO "MORIIYE" WHO'S BLADES WERE IN HIGH DEMAND. DUE TO THIS FACT, SIGNED BLADES BY "MITSUMORI" ARE SELDOM SEEN. WHEN EXAMINING "MU-MEI" (UNSIGNED) BLADES BY THESE MAKERS, THERE WORK IS DIFFICULT TO DISTINGUISH. MITSUMORI'S WORKS ARE MAINLY TACHI, TANTO, AND COMPANION (EARLY TERM FOR WAKIZASHI) SWORDS WITH STRONG, DISCERNIBLE CHARACTERISTICS RELATING TO THE ICHIMONJI SCHOOL. THIS PARTICULAR BLADE WAS ONCE OWNED BY THE SAKAKE DAIMYO, WITH SAYAGAKI ON ITS 200 + YEAR OLD SHIRASAYA, ATTRIBUTING IT TO THE ICHIMONJI SCHOOL.

OVER 200 YEARS AGO, IT WAS JUDGED AS "ICHIMONJI". AGAIN, 5 YEARS AGO IT WAS JUDGED AS "ICHIMONJI", BY THE "NBTHK" TOKUBETSU HOZON SHINSA. ON THE STRENGTH OF THESE TWO EVALUATIONS, WE PLACED IT FOR JUYO. THE SHINZA THOUGHT IT LOOKED A BIT MORE LIKE "MITSUMORI" ( HIS "SAKA CHOJI ) SLANTS A BIT MORE, AND MADE IT JUYO MITSUMORI. IF THE JUYO SHINZA WOULD CALL IT ICHIMONJI IT WOULD BE NEARLY DOUBLE ARE ASKING PRICE!

ONLY LAST YEAR (2004) IT WAS SUBMITTED TO THE N.B.T.H.K. FOR "JUYO SHINSA', RESULTING IN A "JUYO CERTIFICATE" ATTRIBUTING IT TO "MITSUMORI", THE DOCUMENTATION IS STILL IN PROCESS, AT THE N.B.T.H.K.. SOME OF THE RELATED CHARACTERISTICS BETWEEN THESE TWO SCHOOLS INCLUDE; CHOJI MIDARE; AND "KAERUKO (TADPOLE) CHOJI". ALSO KOSHIZORI (SLIGHT CURVE); SLIM SHINOGI-JI, FINE ITAME HADA AND KO-MOKUME; NIOI, AND VERY SMALL NIE.

THE BLADES OF BOTH "MORIIYE" & "MITSUMORI", HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HELD IN GREAT FAVOR WITH SHOGUN'S AND DAIMYO'S. TOKUGAWA IYEYASU PRESENTED MANY BLADES FROM THIS SCHOOL. AN INTERESTING FACT ABOUT "MITSUMORI" IS THAT A KATANA MADE BY HIM WAS CARRIED BY "ISOGAI JYUROZEMON MASAHISA" , WHO WAS ONE OF THE "47 RONIN" (RONIN: Masterless samurai) LED BY A RETAINER OF LORD ASANO, "OISHI YOHIO" IN 1702, THE LORD ASANO NAGANORI WAS INVOLVED IN A DISPUTE WITH "KIRA YOSHINAKA", WHO AT THE TIME WAS INSTRUCTED BY TOKUGAWA TSUNAYOSHI TO TEACH ASANO THE PROPER ETIQUETTE OF ENTERTAINING ENVOYS FROM THE IMPERIAL FAMILY. KIRA AND ASANO WERE ADVERSARIES. ONE DAY A HEATED ARGUMENT AROSE, THEY DREW THEIR SWORDS RESULTING IN "KIRA" BEING CUT.

DURING THE TRIAL THAT FOLLOWED, IT WAS COMMANDED THAT ASANO "COMMIT SEPPUKU" IMMEDIATELY. IT WAS ALSO ORDERED THAT HIS CASTLE BE CONFISCATED AND HIS SAMURAI DISPERSED. HOWEVER, THE NOW "47 RONIN" HAD A PLAN TO AVENGE THEIR MASTERS DEATH. THEY STAYED WITHIN THEIR MEANS AND WENT ABOUT THEIR DAILY LIVES, AWAITING THERE MOMENT OF OPPORTUNITY. EVENTUALLY "KIRA" LET DOWN HIS GUARD AND DECREASED HIS AMOUNT OF PERSONAL PROTECTION. THIS IS WHAT THE ASANO RONIN WERE WAITING FOR. ON DECEMBER 14, 1702, THEY GATHERED A CACHE OF WEAPONS AND ARMOR THEY HAD PREVIOUSLY HIDDEN, AND ATTACKED THE KIRA CASTLE IN TWO GROUPS. THEY EVENTUALLY FOUND KIRA AND GAVE HIM THE CHANCE TO COMMIT SEPPUKU (SUICIDE), WHEN HE GAVE NO REPLY, "OISHI" TOOK HIS HEAD! HE THEN TOOK THE HEAD AND DEPOSITED IT WHERE ASANO WAS BURIED. THE "47 RONIN", HAVING ACCOMPLISHING THEIR REVENGE OF "LORD ASANO", TURNED THEMSELVES IN, AND WERE ALL ORDERED TO COMMIT SEPPUKU. THEIR BODIES WERE ALL BURIED TOGETHER AT THE "SENGAKUJI' (A small temple in Minato-ku, Tokyo, famous for its graveyard where the "47 Ronin" (also known as Akoroshi, the "master-less samurai from Ako") are buried. , WHICH IS NOW A JAPANESE HISTORICAL SITE. THERE ARE TWO VERY WELL KNOWN MASTERPIECES BY "HATAKADA MITSUMORI", A TACHI AND A COMPANION SWORD. THE TACHI HAS BEEN HANDED DOWN FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION IN THE "HORITA DAIMYO" FAMILY, AND THE COMPANION SWORD HAS ORIKISHI MEI (FOLDED SIGNATURE), HAS BEEN THE TREASURE OF THE AKIMOTO FAMILY, SINCE THE 1700'S.





ERA: Ko-an 1278

APPROXIMATE AGE OF BLADE: 727 Years

THE NAKAGO (TANG): Surage (cutting edge moved forward)

MEI (MAKERS SIGNATURE): Two characters near the Nakago Mune, hard to see because of Mekugi Ana (Attributed to Bizen Mitsumori) Omote, worn away from the body

JIRI (TANG END): Kuri

MEKUGI ANA (HOLE IN TANG FOR RETAINING PEG): 5
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BLADE TYPE: Tachi

STYLE: Shinogi-Zukuri (most popular style)

MUNE (BACK RIDGE): Iori (peaked)

NAGASA (LENGTH OF CUTTING EDGE): 67 cm / 26 3/8”

SORI (CURVATURE): 2.2 cm / 7/8”

MOTOHABA (WIDTH): 3.0 cm / 1 3/16”

BOSHI: (TEMPERING IN POINT): Yakuzume (small turn back)

KISSAKI (POINT STYLE): Ikubi (medium point)

HAMON:(TEMPERING,MARTENSITE): Choji and Kaeruko Choji, (pollywag shape), Gonome mixed with KoMidare

HADA (BLADE GRAIN STYLE): Itame/Mokume with Ji Nie and Midare utsuri…..

HORIMONO (CARVINGS IN BLADE): one Bohi (wide groove) along both sides running into the Nakago

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CONDITION: Pristine

KIZU (FLAWS): None

POLISH: 100%

DAMAGE: None

HABAKI: One piece gold

SHIRA SAYA (STORAGE CASE)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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