{"product_id":"katana103","title":"Antique Japanese Katana Sword attributed to Kashū Ietsugu with Notare-Gunome Hamon and Plum Blossom Sukashi Tsuba - NBTHK Hozon","description":"\u003c!-- KATANA103 — Tokyo Nihonto --\u003e\n\u003csection class=\"product\"\u003e\u003cheader\u003e\u003c\/header\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"specs\"\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignature (Mei):\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eMumei\u003c\/em\u003e (unsigned), attributed by the NBTHK to \u003cspan lang=\"ja\"\u003e加州家次\u003c\/span\u003e Kashū Ietsugu\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSwordsmith:\u003c\/strong\u003e Kashū Ietsugu \u003cspan lang=\"ja\"\u003e加州家次\u003c\/span\u003e (NBTHK attribution)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSchool \/ Tradition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Kaga Province (\u003cem\u003eKashū\u003c\/em\u003e) tradition\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePeriod \/ Province:\u003c\/strong\u003e Muromachi period, \u003cem\u003ekoto\u003c\/em\u003e, Kaga Province (Ishikawa)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCertificate:\u003c\/strong\u003e NBTHK \u003cem\u003eHozon Token\u003c\/em\u003e no. 3020631, issued 23 May 2019\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eJapanese Registration (Tōroku-shō):\u003c\/strong\u003e Akita no. 12415, issued 9 January 1965\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMounting:\u003c\/strong\u003e Complete \u003cem\u003ekatana koshirae\u003c\/em\u003e, speckled black lacquer \u003cem\u003esaya\u003c\/em\u003e, iron plum-blossom \u003cem\u003esukashi\u003c\/em\u003e tsuba, gold-foiled \u003cem\u003ehabaki\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBlade Length (Nagasa):\u003c\/strong\u003e 68.8 cm (2 \u003cem\u003eshaku\u003c\/em\u003e 2 \u003cem\u003esun\u003c\/em\u003e 7 \u003cem\u003ebu\u003c\/em\u003e and a little more, as recorded on the NBTHK certificate)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurvature (Sori):\u003c\/strong\u003e 2.4 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMekugi-ana:\u003c\/strong\u003e 4\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShape (Sugata):\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eShinogi-zukuri\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eiori-mune\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003echū-kissaki\u003c\/em\u003e, deeply curved, \u003cem\u003eō-suriage\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eJihada:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eItame\u003c\/em\u003e mixed with \u003cem\u003emokume\u003c\/em\u003e, standing grain, \u003cem\u003emasame\u003c\/em\u003e on the \u003cem\u003eshinogi-ji\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eji-nie\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHamon:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eNotare\u003c\/em\u003e mixed with \u003cem\u003egunome\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003enie-deki\u003c\/em\u003e,, with \u003cem\u003eashi\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003esunagashi\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBōshi:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eMidare-komi\u003c\/em\u003e with a \u003cem\u003eko-maru\u003c\/em\u003e turn-back\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHabaki:\u003c\/strong\u003e Copper under gold foil, two-tier\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA full-length Muromachi katana attributed by the NBTHK to \u003cstrong\u003eKashū Ietsugu\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cspan lang=\"ja\"\u003e加州家次\u003c\/span\u003e of Kaga Province, papered \u003cstrong\u003eHozon\u003c\/strong\u003e. The blade measures \u003cstrong\u003e68.8 cm\u003c\/strong\u003e with a deep \u003cstrong\u003e2.4 cm\u003c\/strong\u003e curvature, and comes fully mounted.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe blade was cut down from a longer sword (\u003cem\u003eō-suriage\u003c\/em\u003e): the original tang and signature were removed and a new tang was shaped from the lower blade, which is why the NBTHK attributes it from its workmanship rather than from a signature. Four \u003cem\u003emekugi-ana\u003c\/em\u003e record the successive mountings it has worn over the centuries. The deep curvature that remains, even after shortening, tells you the original was a long, strongly curved sword of the earlier Muromachi style.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe hamon is a \u003cem\u003enotare\u003c\/em\u003e mixed with \u003cem\u003egunome\u003c\/em\u003e in \u003cem\u003enie-deki\u003c\/em\u003e, with \u003cem\u003eashi\u003c\/em\u003e reaching into the edge and streaks of \u003cem\u003esunagashi\u003c\/em\u003e running through the \u003cem\u003enie\u003c\/em\u003e. It carries into the point as \u003cem\u003emidare-komi\u003c\/em\u003e and turns back in a \u003cem\u003eko-maru\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe steel is the dark, standing \u003cem\u003eitame\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003emokume\u003c\/em\u003e of the Hokuriku provinces, with \u003cem\u003emasame\u003c\/em\u003e along the \u003cem\u003eshinogi-ji\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eji-nie\u003c\/em\u003e throughout. The blade is in an older polish that softens some of the finer activity; the grain is open in places, as expected on a sword that has been polished many times over five centuries. No fatal flaws are visible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"koshirae\"\u003e\u003ch3\u003eKoshirae Details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003etsuba\u003c\/em\u003e is iron, in a softly lobed round shape, pierced in \u003cem\u003eji-sukashi\u003c\/em\u003e with a gnarled plum branch in blossom (\u003cem\u003eume\u003c\/em\u003e). The two \u003cem\u003ehitsu-ana\u003c\/em\u003e are worked into the branches rather than cut as plain openings. Plum is the first tree to flower at the end of winter, and on a sword guard it stands for perseverance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003efuchi\u003c\/em\u003e is \u003cem\u003eshakudō\u003c\/em\u003e, finely grooved and set with gold chrysanthemum crests inside a gold rim; the \u003cem\u003ekashira\u003c\/em\u003e is a plain, dark cap. They were not made as a pair, and the koshirae was assembled from good Edo-period parts, as most working mounts were.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003emenuki\u003c\/em\u003e depict an \u003cem\u003eise-ebi\u003c\/em\u003e (Japanese spiny lobster), a traditional emblem of longevity, in dark copper alloy with red and black lacquer, the fan tail, legs and long antennae visible between the wrap. The \u003cem\u003etsuka\u003c\/em\u003e is wrapped in black silk \u003cem\u003ehineri-maki\u003c\/em\u003e over white \u003cem\u003esame\u003c\/em\u003e with a large \u003cem\u003eoyatsubu\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003esaya\u003c\/em\u003e is a speckled black lacquer with black horn fittings and a dark \u003cem\u003esageo\u003c\/em\u003e. The \u003cem\u003ehabaki\u003c\/em\u003e is copper under gold foil, in a two-tier form, and four \u003cem\u003eseppa\u003c\/em\u003e complete the mount. Wrap and lacquer are in excellent, restored condition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"smith-background\"\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe Swordsmith: Kashū Ietsugu \u003cspan lang=\"ja\"\u003e加州家次\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIetsugu is one of the main smith names of Kaga Province, on the Sea of Japan coast. The name was carried by several generations, from the Ōei era (1394–1428) through the late Muromachi period and into the early Edo period. References do not agree on the lineage: some place the Ietsugu line within the \u003cstrong\u003eFujishima\u003c\/strong\u003e school, others within the \u003cstrong\u003eSanekage\u003c\/strong\u003e group, the two main schools of Kaga.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKashū Ietsugu is also known as \u003cstrong\u003e\"Kaga Aoe\"\u003c\/strong\u003e, a name that links the line to the Aoe school of Bitchū.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe NBTHK attributes this blade to Kashū Ietsugu without naming a generation. On an \u003cem\u003eō-suriage\u003c\/em\u003e blade there is no signature to read and no date to go by, so we do not claim one; the deep curvature and the dark northern steel are consistent with Muromachi work of the school.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"school-history\"\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe Swordsmiths of Kaga\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSword making in Kaga grew from the Nanbokuchō period, when \u003cstrong\u003eFujishima Tomoshige\u003c\/strong\u003e, traditionally a student of Rai Kunitoshi of Kyoto, settled in the province. Alongside the Fujishima line, the \u003cstrong\u003eSanekage\u003c\/strong\u003e smiths and their successors made Kaga one of the productive sword centres of the Hokuriku region through the Muromachi period. Kaga blades are recognised by dark, strong northern steel and by nie-based tempers that mix \u003cem\u003enotare\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003egunome\u003c\/em\u003e, which is what this katana shows.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat is offered here is a full-length Muromachi katana attributed by the NBTHK to Kashū Ietsugu of Kaga Province, 68.8 cm with a deep sori, papered Hozon, registered in Japan since 1965, complete in a restored koshirae with an iron plum-blossom tsuba and gold-foiled habaki.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e","brand":"Tokyo Nihonto","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57332466286916,"sku":"KATANA103","price":5700.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0753\/4080\/8516\/files\/Katana103_350K_0039_GenerativeFill3.jpg?v=1790415178","url":"https:\/\/tokyo-nihonto.com\/es\/products\/katana103","provider":"Tokyo Nihonto","version":"1.0","type":"link"}