Ordering Numbre: 24099

Katana in Shirasaya (NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Token)

Signature: Sakai Ikkansai Shigemasa Horidosaku (Mukansa Tosho) 酒井一貫斎繁政彫同作
Made by Konagai Masatoshi for Mr. Noguchi Kiyokichi 為野口清吉氏贈小長井正敏製作之
January 14, Showa 46 (1971) 昭和四十六年一月十四日

We divide 4 sections for each sword as Saijyo Saku, Jyojyo Saku, Jyo Saku, and Regular Saku.
This sword is ranked as Jyojyo Saku for Sakai Ikkansai Shigemasa.

Habaki:Double-layered gold foil Habaki
Blade Length: 72.0 cm (28.35 in)
Curvature: 2.5 cm (0.98 in)
Mekugi Hole: 1
Width at Base (Motohaba): 2.71 cm (1.07 in)
Width at Tip (Sakihaba): 3.42 cm (1.35 in)
Thickness (Kasane): 0.53 cm (0.21 in)
Sword Weight: 750 g
Era: January 14, Showa 46 (1971)

Shape:wide and thick blade with deep curveture and long Kissaki.
Shinogi position is different on the front and back.
Jigane: fine Ko-itame hada with much Jinie.
Hamon: Niebase, frontside is Gunomemidare with Ko-ashi and Sunagashi, and Boshi is midarekomi and slightly pointed. The backside is Suguha mixed with Gunome and Notare with Intense Nie and kinsuji. Boshi is midarekomi and rounded.

Features: Shigemasa was born in Shizuoka Prefecture in 1905. He studied Bizen swordsmanship for a long time under Kasama Shigetsugu, and changed his swordsmith name to Shigemasa receiving the character for “Shige” from Shigetsugu.
After that, he became an independent swordsmith and forged swords at the Yasukuni Shrine as an authorized swordsmith for the army and the navy.
After the war, he changed the kanji for his name from Masa(正) to Masa(政). He worked vigorously and produced many excellent works and were certified as Mukansa swordsmith. He passed away in 1996.

From Aoi-Art:
While the reverse side of this work has the usual Shinogi-zukuri style, the other side has the Katagiriba-zukuri style, in which Shinogi is lawer. The blade pattern is also different on the front and back. It is as if we are looking at two different swords on the front and back. This piece is interesting piece that shows his high skill very well. He was also a good carver. I like that there is little rust on the handle. I think it has been well cared for up to now.

NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Certificate (to be issued soon)
Aoi Art Estimation Paper
Whole Oshigata

Price:1,400,000JPY

Related Items:

Tachi: Sagami Koku Ju Masuda Yasuaki Saku (December 1971)(NBTHK Hozon Token) Katana:Echigo Kuni Mitsuoki(NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Token) Katana : Kun 4 Tou Kurihara Hikosaburo Akihide(NBTHK Hozon Token)(NBTHK Tokubetsu Kicho Token) Tachi：Gassan Sadakatsu Kinsaku.(NBTHK Hozon Token) Katana:Osaka Ju Gassan Sadakatsu (Kao) (NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Token) Katana: Gassan Sadakatsu Kinsaku (Kao) (NBTHK Hozon Token)