Dimensions
Nagasa: 71.15cm
Sori: 1.2cm
Motohaba: 3.05cm
Sakihaba: 2.4cm
Length of Kissaki: 5.1cm
Length of Nakago: 19.6cm
Curvature of Nakago: 0.1cm
Form/Shape:
A shinogi-zukuri blade with iori-mune. It has a wide mihaba and relatively wide shinogi
despite wide mihaba, showing a little discrepancy between the motohaba and Sakihaba.
It has a shallow sori and an o-kissaki.
Kitae (Forging):
A tight ko-itame hada with thick ji-nie of fine particles, and chikei. The steel is bright.
Hamon:
A chu-suguha pattern hamon with deep nioi and lots of ko-nie. There are fine kinsuji and
suna-nagashi. The nioiguchi is bright and clear.
Boshi:
A sugu type boshi with a ko-maru tip.
Nakago:
An ubu nakago with the iriyama-gata end. There are kiri file marks and nemekugi-ana.
There is a long mei carved with a big tagane close to the mune on the haki-omote ide,
and the era inscription, as well as a two-line gold zogan setsudan-mei of Yamano
Kaemon Nagahisa on the haki-ura side.
Description:
The shodai Tadahiro was the same smith as the shodai Tadayoshi [忠吉], and his real
name was Hashimoto Shinzaemon [橋本新左衛門]. He was a sword smith officially
employed by Lord Nabeshima [鍋島] who ruled Hizen province. In the 1st year of the
Keicho era (1596), Tadahiro apprenticed under Umetada Myoju [埋忠明寿] and learned
sword smithing by the order of the Nabeshima family. In the 3rd year of the Keicho era
(1598), he came back to Hizen to live nearby the Saga Castle, and very much prospered
thereafter under the patronage of the Nabeshima family. In the 10th year of the Genna era
(1624), he went to Kyoto to receive the honorary title of Musashi Daijo [武蔵大掾], and
changed his art name from Tadayoshi to Tadahiro, as well as his clan name from
Minamoto [源] to Fujiwara [藤原].
The oldest existing blade by Tadahiro with a “Musasahi Daijo” title in the mei was made
in August of the 1st year of the Kanei era (1624), and he used the title till February of the
9th year of same era (1632). However, some blades with the “Tadahiro” mei that do not
have the “Musasahi Daijo” title inscription still exist. That is because of a special order
by the Nabeshima family not needing the honorary title inscription on blades that were to
be purchased by them. Those blades made to the special order by the Nabeshima family
are specifically called the “kenjo mei [i.e., presentation mei]” blades.
This particular katana has a well forged tight ko-itame and chu-suguha hamon with deep
nioi and lots of ko-nie. It also has fine kinsuji and suna-nagashi, as well as a sugu type
boshi turning back in the ko-maru shape. All of these features well indicate the
distinctive characteristics of Tadahiro. It is indeed an excellently forged blade with
bright and clear ji and ha. Additionally, “August of the 9th year of the Kanei era” that is
inscribed on this blade is the very last year of Tadahiro, which also makes this blade an
important piece of historical material.
