KANESHIGE

“KANESHIGE” WAS ONE OF THE FINEST SWORDSMITHS OF THE “SHINTO EDO SCHOOL”, KAN-BUN (1624) PERIOD.

KANESHIGE WAS ORIGINALLY FROM ECHIZEN PROVINCE, HIS FAMILY NAME WAS “TSUJI SUKEUEMON”. HE STUDIED WITH THE YANONE GROUP OF SWORDSMITHS, AND IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN A STUDENT OF “YASUTSUGU” 1 st GEN. (YASUTSUGU WAS TOKUGAWA IYEYASU’S PERSONAL SWORD MAKER). “KANESHIGE”, WAS THE PERSONAL SWORDSMITH TO THE O-DAIMYO “TODO”! ONE OF “IYEYASU’S WEALTHIEST GENERALS, WHO WAS GIVEN THE PROVINCES OF “BIZEN” AND “MIMASAKA”, WITH A REVENUE OF “520,000” KOKU’S OF RICE!!! THE AVERAGE “DAIMYO” (WAR LORD) HAD A REVENUE OF “10,000” KOKU’S OF RICE (CONSIDERED TO BE A LARGE AMOUNT). ONE CAN EASILY SEE THAT “TODO O-SAMA” (BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN PORTRAYED AS “GEN. TODA” IN THE MOVIE “SHOGUN”, THAT IS BASED ON A TRUE STORY) COULD HAVE RETAINED ANY SWORDSMITH HE DESIRED. HE CHOOSE “KANESHIGE”!

KANESHIGE’S TITLE WAS “IZUMI-NO-DAIJO”. HIS RETAINER “TODO” IZUMI-NO-KAMI, GRANTED HIM THE TITLE “IZUMI-NO-KAMI” (THE SAME AS HIS OWN), AND LATER THAT OF “KAZUSA-NO-SUKE”!

KANESHIGE WAS THE “SENSEI” (TEACHER) OF “OKISATO” C-1661 (ONE OF THE 5 MOST FAMOUS SHINTO MAKERS), KAZUSA-NO-KAMI C-1661 (HIS SON), AND KANETSUNE C-1661 (HIS SON). MORIKUNI IZUMI-NO-KAMI, AND YOSHIMASA ARE ALSO LISTED AMONG THOSE THAT STUDIED UNDER HIM. SEE GENEALOGY CHART.

THE KOSHIRAE (COMPLETE SWORD MOUNTING) IS ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL. IT IS OF THE TYPE THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN UTILIZED BY A VERY HIGH RANKING SAMURAI, OR A DAIMYO. IT IS 100% IN SUITE, AND OF THE SHOAMI SCHOOL STYLE, WITH STRONG HIGO INFLUENCE. THE SLIGHTLY BULBOUS PLATE OF THE TSUBA IS QUITE UNIQUE. THE COMPLEX VINES, AND LEAFS WITH “HEIAN JO” INFLUENCE COMPLETE THE MOTIF THAT IS CARRIED THROUGHOUT THE KODOGU (FITTINGS).

THE FITTINGS ARE OF THE PROPER “EDO” PERIOD (SEVERAL HUNDRED YEARS OLD). THE SAYA (SCABBARD) IT SOMETHING TO MARVEL AT (OF DAIMYO QUALITY), SEVERAL VARIOUS SHADES OF BLACK TO BLUE LACQUER WERE USED. IT WAS THEM PAINSTAKINGLY SPIRALED IN AN FINE INTRICATE PATTERN. NEXT, FINELY GROUND SHELL (ABALONE) WAS IMPREGNATED INTO THE LACQUER, TO GIVE IT A MULTIPLE TONED GLISTENING EFFECT. THIS IS ONE OF THE FINEST SAYA’S I HAVE SEEN IN MANY YEARS.

KANESHIGE IS VERY WELL KNOWN FOR THE BEAUTY OF HIS HADA (BLADE GRAIN STRUCTURE), STRENGTH, CUTTING ABILITY, AND BALANCE OF HIS BLADES. THE LENGTH OF THE BLADE (NAGASA) IS 68.3 cm. – 26 3/4″ , AND HAS WONDERFUL (SEE HADA CLOSE- UP BELOW) KO-ITAME (FINE WOOD GRAIN) HADA, CHIKEI (LINES OF MARTENSITE [MS] CRYSTALS, FLOATING JUST BELOW THE SURFACE), AND JI-NIE (SPRINKLED WITH CRYSTALS). THE HAMON (TEMPERING) IS EXTREMELY FINE AND VERY BRIGHT NIE [MS] CRYSTALS, IT IS GONOME MIDARE (BEADS FLOATING IN OCEAN WAVES), AND HAS FINE ASHI (SUBTLE VERTICAL STREAKS). THE WORKS OF “OKISATO” BEAR A STRONG RESEMBLANCE. THIS BLADE ALSO HAS FINE “HORIMONO” (ENGRAVING). THERE IS A 3/4 LENGTH, “HI” (GROOVE), WITH THE “BONJI, FUGEN BOSATSU” (SANSKRIT CHARACTER FOR “LOVE & WISDOM”) JUST BELOW IT, ON THE OMOTE (SIDE WORN AWAY FROM BODY). THE URA (SIDE WORN TOWARD THE BODY), HAS A FULL LENGTH “HI”, WITH A “KEN” (RELIGIOUS SYMBOL) SWORD BLADE CARVED BENEATH IT. THIS IS A VERY ALLURING BLADE.

“Bonji” Horimono

THE BLADE IS MOUNTED IN A SHIRASAYA (PROTECTIVE WOODEN STORAGE CASE), AND THE FITTINGS ARE MOUNTED WITH A “TSUNAGI” (WOODEN COPY OF THE ACTUAL BLADE). THIS IS A TREMENDOUS EXAMPLE OF A 350 + YEAR OLD KATANA (LONG SWORD), IN SUPERB CONDITION.

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