A KANEZUMI KATANA

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Overview

Kanezumi was a quality swordsmith of from the Nara school in the Mino tradition who had a reputation for making very sharp swords.
The first generation Kanezumi was the son of the infamous Kanesada – one of the representatives of the Mino tradition of sword making during the Muromachi period, circa Bunan era: (1444~1449). His name at birth was Jurozaemon.
This katana, crafted circa 1573-1592, carries a bold and wavy gunome midare hamon (temper line) with depictions of mountains and fishtails or arrow notches known as yahazuba.
The beautiful jihada (body of the sword) is a tightly forged itame (wood grain) with nagare (running) qualities. This sword has been recently polished by a respected polisher in the Kamakura area of Tokyo.
The katana is secured in a unique Uchigatana Tensho Koshirae produced with fittings from the Late Edo Period. This dark, elegant, and formal style of koshirae was first seen in the Tensho period (1573-1592).
Note how the tsuka (hilt) is shaped like an hourglass, with black-lacquered samekawa (ray skin) and wrapped in black leather. Even the antique copper habaki is coated with shakudo (a high-quality Japanese alloy comprising of about 96% copper and 4% gold).
The iron tsuba (guard) has details of bamboo trees, which is symbolic for health and a long life.
The fuchi (collar) carries the paulownia kamon (crest) of Hideyoshi Toyotomi – a Daimyo (great family), warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He was one of the three unifiers of Japan, succeeding Oda Nobunaga in the Late Muromachi Period.
This sword was sold to a private collector in Germany.
Photos with detailed descriptions are below following the German translation.
Signiert, späte Muromachi Zeit (um 1570)
Schmied: KANEZUMI
Ort: Mino Provinz (heutige Gifu Präfektur)
Klinge: 67,3cm
Sori (Krümmung): 2,1cm
Jihada: Itame und Nagare Masame
Hamon: Gunome Midare und Togariba
Nagako: Ubu (ungekürzt / unverändert)
Zertifikat: NTHK-NPO Kanteisho (als „Wichtig“ klassifizierte Klinge, vergeben von der Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung des Japanischen Schwerts)
Kanezumi war ein qualitativ guter Schmied der Nara-Schule und hat in der Mino Tradition gearbeitet. Die Klingen gelten als „wazamono“, d.h. „scharf“.
In der 1. Generation war Kanezumi der Sohn des berühmt-berüchtigten Kanesada – einer der Mino-Schmiede, die in der Muromachi Zeit, Bunan Ära ca. 1444 – 1449 tätig waren. Sein Geburtsname war Jurozaemon.
Dieses Katana wurde ca. 1573 – 1592 geschmiedet und besitzt ein sehr prägnantes und geschwungenes gunome midare Hamon (Härtelinie) mit Ausprägungen von Bergen und Fischschwänzen bzw. Pfeilspitzen, bekannt als „yahazuba“.
Der hochwertige Klingenkörper („jihada“) besteht aus eng geschmiedetem „itame“ (ähnelt einer Holzsstruktur) mit „nagare“ (fließenden) Qualitäten.
Alle wichtigen Elemente der Koshirae stammen aus der späten Edo-Zeit (19. Jahrhundert) in einer eher seltenen, originalen Uchigatana Tensho-Montierung. Diese Art der schlichten, formalen und eleganten Montierung fand seinen Ursprung in der Tensho Zeit (ca. 1573 – 1592). Merkmale sind die Uhrglasform des Griffes („tsuka“), die schwarze Griffunterwicklung („samekawa“) aus Rochenhaut sowie die schwarze Lederwicklung („tsuka-ito“). Ebenso interessant ist das antike kupferne „habaki“ mit schöner Patina.
Die Tsuba (Stichblatt) beinhaltet Details von Bambusbäumen; diese symbolisieren Gesundheit und ein langes Leben.
Das Fuchi trägt das Kamon (Wappen) von Hideyoshi Toyotomi – aus einer Daimyo Familie stammender berühmter Krieger, General und Politiker aus der Genroku-Era. Er war einer der 3 großen Zusammenführer Japans und Nachfolger von Oda Nobunaga in der späten Muromachi Zeit.

*Photos by Eric Bossick for Unique Japan

A Kanezumi Katana from the Eiroku Era
A Kanezumi Katana from the Eiroku Era Statistics
Kanezumi Katana Swordsmith Signature Mei
Kanezumi NTHK-NPO Kanteisho Certificate
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Kanezumi Yahazuba Hamon
Uchigatana Tensho Koshirae Explained

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Samurai with Tachi on Horseback - Utagawa YoshitoraKirimon Toyotomi Kamon Sword Koshirae Habaki on the Kanezumi Katana kanezumi-57 kanezumi-58
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