Shinto katana made by Yamato-no-Kami Minamoto YASUMICHI who is considered an Owari-Seki smith. He mainly resided in Owari province, home of one of the three castle-branches of the Tokugawa clan, but his hometown was in Mino-Seki, and he is thought to have descended from Akasaka-Senjuin Yasumichi there. He was active around the Kanbun era (1660's), studying under Owari Takamichi and also Kishu Ishido Yasutsuna, where he may have learned the Shinto Bizen style, considered his forte. He is listed in Fujishiro's Nihon Toko Jiten, Shinto Volume, and can be read about in Art and the Sword, 1989, Volume Two by the JSS/US. There is also a zaimei example of his katana in suguha in a Compton Christie's auction catalog. It is said that he worked in gunome and choji hamon as well as making suguha in Rai style, all in the typical stout Kanbun-Shinto sugata of Owari tapering in width with shallow sori.
This sword is newly polished in a honoki shirasaya with solid silver habaki measuring 26 3/4' and is signed though slightly shortened. There are three mekugi-ana; this was a longer heavier sword at one time. Tight, reflective ko-itame with a ko-nie deki gunome-midare hamon widening and gaining activity towards the point with an active irregular ko-maru boshi is polished in a kesho-style. Typical tapering Kanbun shape, wider at the base with shallow sori and a small-ish kissaki, with good balance. The sword is accompanied with a Kanteisho from the NTHK-NPO. |
