Kogatana : Sumitani Seiho Saku/Kokeguchi Sensyu Hori
Kogatana in Shirasaya
Signature : Human National Treasure Sumitani Seiho.
Hori(engraved) by Mukansa Kokeguchi Sensyu.
Masamine Saku Sensyu Hori .Syowa 54th December(1979)
(We divide 4 sections for each sword as Saijyo saku, Jyojyo saku Jyo saku and regular saku)
This Kogatana Masamine Saku Sensyu belongs to Saijyo saku ranking.
The blade was polished perfectly.
Engrave(hori) the top ranking.
Maximum Length : 19.6 cm or 7.71 inches
Blade Length : 12.3 cm or 4.84 inches
width of Hamachi : 1.24 cm or 0.48 inches
Era : Showa 54th December(1979)
Jitetsu : Ko-Itame Hada well grained with Jinie attached. It is clear jigane.
Hamon : Konie Deki gunome midaire ashi well attached.
Boshi is round shape yakisage style.
HamonSpecial feature : Sumitani Masamine, born Sumitani Yoichiro in 1921, was a swordsmith in Ishikawa prefecture.
Majored in mechanical engineering and graduated from Ritsumeikan university in Kyoto,
he entered the research institute of Japanese sword on the campus
in 1941 and learned under Sakurai Masayuki,
the Second son of a famous sword smith Sakurai Masatsugu.
After that he moved to Onomichi city in Hiroshima prefecture and learned forging and polishing
sword at Kokoku Nihonto Tanren-Jo with his sworn brother Yokota Masamitsu.
In the postwar Japan, Masamine set up his own smithy named Sanryutei in 1956 and studied Bizen-den.
He forged special swords to dedicate the Ise-jingu shrine.
He became a Mukansa-tosho and a judge of the annual sword-making competition held by NBTHK in 1966.
In pursuit of Bizen-den, he completed especially choji-midare hamon called Sumitani-Choji.
He also studied old iron manufacturing in Kamakura period and reproduced classical texture of jitetsu.
He has made sword of Royal family such as Princess Mako and the Crown Princess Masako.
Masamine was designated one of a preservers of Important Intangible Cultural Assets,
popularly known as Living National Treasures in 1981. He passed away in 1998.
Recently the price of high ranking modern sword makers including human national
treasure are becoming about 20% going up compare with a year ago.
This blade is polished by high ranking polisher and bright hamon arvelous high quality blade.
Kokeguchi Sensyu(sword engraving artist(Mukansa)
According to the book which is called Nihonto Syokunin Syokudan written many famous sword craftsmen's opinion.
He said that if essential of weapon is devid death and live, it is quite natural ling divine protection of the gods and Buddha.
So sword engrave artist also has religiosity and also try harder and pour effort if the sword is superior sword.
I take keep my religion firmly on the sword and remind old ancient engrave craftsman.
If the engrave means pour the religion on the sword, it is quite nonsense to engrave cherry tree, corp rising up waterfall
like mirror makers.
His subject always remind us religion and spiritually-driven life.
This engrave made a baby on the circle ring and a statue of the Goddess of Kannon by his high technical work.
Unfortunately human national treasure Masamine and Mukansa Kokeguchi Sensyu both passed away.
Aoi Art estimation paper : whole Oshigata.
Price : 350,000 JPY-
