AN OMI NO KAMI FUJIWARA TSUGUHIRO WAKIZASHI
This sword was sold at The Okinawa Sword Show Vol. III
Overview (full text description follows photos)
Type: Wakizashi (Signed)
Item No.: ujwa030
Swordsmith: Omi no Kami Fujiwara Tsuguhiro (近江守藤原継廣)
Period: Mid-Edo Genroku Period (ca. 1688-1704)
Location: Echizen (modern-day Fukui prefecture)
Length: 54.3cm
Curvature: 1.8cm
Hamon: Gunome Midare (random waves)
Koshirae: Koshirae accessories are of Samurai battle scenes on Shakudo Nanako (absolutely gorgeous). All made by Mr. Gotou in the Edo period (1600-1868).
Habaki: Expertly crafted silver inlay
Certification: NBTHK application recommended
Included: Koshirae (mountings), shirasaya magnolia wood scabbard, traditional katana carry bags (2), sword maintenance kit, illustrated maintenance guide, sword stand, full exportation support to send sword to home country
This sword has been sold
Photos (click for larger view)
*All photos taken professionally by Eric Bossick for Unique Japan
Description:
This beautiful wakizashi was crafted by Omi no Kami Fujiwara no Tsuguhiro, a swordsmith from Echizen over 300 years ago (circa Genroku period, 1688-1704).
The blade is very close to it’s original condition. Tsuguhiro was a student of the 3rd generation of Echizen Yasutsugu who had a fine reputation.
The hamon (temper line) has nioi (milky way crystals) and konie (tiny visible crystals) and you can see kinsuji (whitish golden lines along the middle of the blade).
Complimenting lovely blade, what really makes this sword a stellar collectible is it’s koshirae (mountings).
The gorgeous accessories are made up of Samurai battle scenes on shakudo nanako (tiny dotted backgrounds). Each piece was by the distinguished craftsman Mr. Gotou in the Edo period. The handcrafted detail is remarkable!
A delightful kozuka (Samurai utility knife) and a shirasaya scabbard are also included to better preserve the blade.
This sword has not yet been submitted to the NBTHK for certification, but I believe the signature to be genuine based on examples I’ve looked up. It will be interesting to see if this sword is regarded as the first or second generation Tsuguhiro. My suspicions are the latter based on it’s deeper curvature – characteristic of the Jokyo and Genroku time frames.
On a personal note, my first ever sword was a Fujiwara clan o-wakizashi from Echizen (see video). I absolutely adore these swords, and this is one of my favorites that I’ve have the pleasure to offer my valued clients.
In fact, Echizen swords provided the knowledge and inspiration for our fabulous modern-day kitchen knives. And for this reason, I’ll be happy to include one of our Echizen-made kitchen knives to the person who invests in this little slice of heaven. PK
Questions?
To request further information or secure ownership of this sword, please contact me, Pablo Kuntz.
For steps toward ownership including all payment options, visit 5 Easy Steps to Owning an Authentic Japanese Samurai Sword.
Upcoming Sword Shows
If you have the pleasure of living in Japan or visiting the country, we strongly recommend that you come to one of our upcoming sword shows.
At each show, we have dozens of beautiful Japanese swords to you to discover and secure for your immediate ownership.
If you cannot make it to a show, but you see something you would like to own from our website please contact me for purchase inquiries.
Legal Exportation from Japan
Unique Japan has safely sent dozens of swords from Japan to countries all over the world. All legal exportation paperwork is included with every purchase. Please allow about 4 weeks for us to process and ship an order from Japan.