Katana: Chikuzen Kami Nobufusa
2017/01/28
Katana in Shirasaya with Koshirae (NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper)
Signature : Chikuzen Kami Nobufusa
Keio 2 nen 8 Gatsu hi (1868, August)
Shinshinto : Jojo saku ranking : Musashi province.
(We divide 4 sections for each sword as Saijo saku, Jojo saku Jo saku and regular saku)
This sword belongs to Jojo saku ranking.
The blade is polished by high ranking polisher.
Habaki :Gold foiled double habaki.
Blade length : 69.2 cm or 27.2 inches.
Sori : 1.3 cm or 0.51 inches.
Mekugi : 1
Width at the hamachi : 3.18 cm or 1.25 inches.
Width at the Kissaki : 2.20 cm or 0.87 inches.
Kasane : 0.63 cm or 0.25 inches.
Era : Later Edo period.
Shape : The blade is wide and thick with suitable curve and long Kissaki good looking shape.
Jigane : Itame hada well grained with Jinie attach, Chikei work very strong on texture.
Shinogi-ji : Jigane is almost same as Ji and Masame-hada mixed.
Hamon : Niedeki Gunome-midare and double Hamon mixed. Sunagashi nad Kinsuji work very active in Hamon.
Boshi turns back Midarekomi style with Ashi and Sunagashi work.
Special feature : Kurihara Nobuhide is a top ranking swordsmith very well known as a student of Yamaura Kiyomaro.
Nobuhide has born at Echigo province, Niigata prefecture now. He became craftsman of mirror at first and then changed his job to the swordsmith.
He was also skillful at engraving Horimono.
On Meiji 5th(1873), he forged special Katana for Emperor Meiji.
Generally student must follow his master but the swords forged by Nobuhide were made with his own style on both Hamon and Jigane.
Homon or Kiyomaro are gentle from Hamachi area but Homon of Nobuhide goes opposit way. He made very active Hamon from the Hamachi area.
I think the Nobuhide is one of the top ranking sword maker in late Edo period.
This sword is having very active Soshu style Hamon with attractive Jigane.
Wes strongly recommend this sword.
He lived in his hometown for the rest of his days, but one day he suddenly went to his daughter’s house at Tokyo and passed away at Meiji 13th (1880).
Koshirae :
Saya :black roiro saya.
Tsuba :On the round shape iron sukashi tsuba which looks like Owari or Kyo sukashi but the seppadai looks wide so the Tsuba was made around in Edo period.
Menuki : a horse is engraved by syakudo plate.
Fuchikashira:On the syakudo nanako plate, a horse is engraved wit hgold color. Yoshikiyo Saku.
back ground of the age which the sword was made 1868
Hystorical background: At AD1866, Goryokaku was founded at Hakodate city.
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper
Aoi Art estimation paper : whole Oshigata.
Price : JPY ¥2,200,000-.
