Katana: Kuniyasu (Horikawa Kuniyasu)
2017/01/02
Katana in Shirasaya with Koshirae (NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper) (consignment sale)
Signature : Kuniyasu (Horikawa Kuniyasu)
Sayagaki : Horikawa Kuniyasu endured at castle. Blade having Ubunakago with two characters signature, very dynamic wide Hamon. Blade length 2 Shaku 3 Sun 4 Bu Tanobe Sensei wrote at March 2011.
(We divide 4 sections for each sword as Saijo saku, Jojo saku, Jo saku and regular saku)
This Kuniyasu belongs to Jojo saku ranking.
The blade is polished.
Blade length : 70.9 cm or 27.9 inches.
Sori : 1.4 cm or 0.55 inches.
Mekugi : 1
Width at the Hamachi : 3.25 cm or 1.27 inches.
Width at the Kissaki : 2.25 cm or 0.89 inches.
Kasane : 0.65 cm or 0.26 inches.
Era : Edo period around Genwa era. (1615~)
Shape : Shinogi Zukuri style with Bo-hi and Soe-hi engraved on both side of the blade. Wide blade with balanced cruve, long Kissaki.
Jitetsu : Itame-hada with mixture of Mokume. Jinie attach deep. Texture appears well on the surface.
Hamon : Notare based with Gunome and Ko-Gunome mixed, Sunagashi and Ashi work well with deep Nioikuchi. Boshi Hakikake style.
Special feature : Horikawa Kuniyasu is a younger brother of Kunihiro well known as Yokozuna (the top ranking) of Shinto.
His secular name is ‘Tanaka Saburodayuu’. He born at Hyuga Kuni Obi province and moved to Yamashiro and made many Soshu style swords. He forged the blade to dadicate to Konpira Shrine and for Omori Shinano Kami Yorinao by the order of Shogun Hidetada.
The blade with his signature remaning are so few. This is probably because he forged as proxy of his brother Kunihiro.
His style of Hamon, Jigane and signature are so similar to Kunihiro.
One theory holds that Kuniyasu was also skilled to make Gimei swords such like Masamune. Kuniyasu was expulsed by Kunihiro and closed his life at Oushu Iwaki.
The blades of Kuniyasu are having Yasurime of Nakago downward to the right because Kuniyasu was left handed.
This blade is healthy and nice for having Ubu Nakago.
Koshirae :
Tsuba : Phoenix, Mari (ball) and pine trees carved on round shape iron Tsuba with gold inlay.
Fuchikashira : Silver grasses and the moon carved on Shakudo Nanakoji plate with gold, silver and copper color.
Saya : Brown Ishimeji Saya.
Menuki : Silver grass and the mouse carved on Shakudo plate with gold color.
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper
Aoi Art estimation paper : whole Oshigata.
Price : JPY ¥1,800,000-.
