Tachi signed Tomonari the 56th descendant Yokoyama SUKENARI kore-wo-kitaeru
Auspicious day in the 8th month,Monkey the 5th calendar sign of Kaei 1st upon request Bear in mind for the reproduction on the order of AMAKUNI katana
with) Black stone surf

O70239(S2842)
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Shin-shin-to End of Edo period (Kaei 1/1848) Bizen
Length of cutting edge 64.3cm Curvature 2.5cm Width of base 28.7mm Width of Yokote 18.7mm Thickness of base 6.4mm

NBTHK (Tokubetsu Kicho Token) certificate

with) Black stone surface lacquered scabbard Uchikatana koshirae

NBTHK(Toubetsu Kicho Kodougu) certificate

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Blade construction: Tachi style sword holding massive volume of Hiraji, Shinogi-zukuri, Iori-mune of a bit on lower side. Both Mihaba on base and Kasane is in average and is less tapering from base to upper Yokote holding deep waist pointed curvature leading to an elongated Chu-kissaki.(click HERE for higher resolution image of the entire blade)
Forging(Hada): Forging mark is extremely fine and uniform Ko-Mokume and Ko-Itame. The steel gives off minute sprinkled sand impression to cover with thick Nie sparkling hard metal granules "Ji-nie" on Hira-ji surface and darkish precise lines of Nie so called "CHIKEI" activity that wells out from steel. There is clear indication of Midare-utsuri reflection on Hira-ji surface.
Temper(Hamon): Hamon is a bit on stronger side Nie hard metal granules base, passage of small roundish Gunome with indication of undulating, slanting or sharpened up boundary lines. Sparkling hard metal granules "Nie" accumulates on the hardening boundary Harmon where sparkling foot of Nie "Ashi" frequently appears toward the cutting edge. The interior of temper is filled with mist-like crystallize area. The entire temper is the most delicately balanced and gives off brilliant flash.
Temper of tip(Boshi): Temper of boshi becomes straight above Yokote line then medium circle turns back a bit deeply in good manner.
Tang(Nakago): Nakago remains entirely UBU original. The shape of heel is Ha- agariKurijiri uneven U-shaped. One mekugi-ana punch. Slightly slanting right Katte-Agari filemarks. Back ridge of Nakago is flat with greatly slanting left filemark. The clear inscription of signature in Tachi-style is located upper the Shinogi-ji "Tomonari the 56th descendant Yokoyama SUKENARI kore-wo-kitaeru" 友成五十六代孫横山祐成鍛之. The other sides is chiselled with the date of year "Auspicious day in the 8th month,Monkey the 5th calendar sign of Kaei 1st upon request" 戊申嘉永元年八月吉應需 and a new paragraph on Hiraji inscribed as "Bear in mind for the reproduction on the order of AMAKUNI katana" 天国写刀.

Here is an excellent masterpiece the re-production tachi of famed AMAKUNI 天国 made by SUKENARI 祐成 who belonged to Osafune tradition in 1848, the end of Edo period with an original Koshirae mounting.
In the 8th month of Tensho 19 (1591), a flood struck Fukuoka-sho, Osafune area as a result of localized downpour, most of sword workshops were carried away by the flood and SUKESADA atelier 祐定 was no exception.
One of the founder Yokoyama Souzaemon SUKESADA 横山宗左衛門祐定 reconstructed SUKESADA 祐定 atelier in Shinto period along with his brothers Shichibei-no-jo SUKESADA 七兵衛尉家 and Genzaemon-no-jo 源左衛門尉家. Those three SUKESADA families had been prospered during Edo period.

The subject swordsmith SUKENARI 祐成 belonged to Yokoyama Kozuke-daijo SUKESADA school 横山上野大掾祐定 who is a legitimate child of Shichibei-no-jo SUKESADA 七兵衛尉祐定 (the 6th generation of founder Yoso-zaemon-no-jo SUKESADA 与三左衛門尉祐定) . He publicly identified himself as the 56 descendant of Tomonari 友成 in Kamakura period from 12th C. like this example and his extant works with the date of year range from Tenpo to Kaei (1839-1848) in the end of Edo period.
He belonged to Bizen-den technique and he devoted himself to restore the ancient works of legendary sword smith AMAKUNI 天国 from ancient age Taiho (701-) on this artwork.

He also was stationed to serve for the Fukuyama domain to meet with increasing demand of swords against foreign disturbance issues under repeated visits of envoy to open the gates the country to the world.

The subject katana is proudly inscribed as a re-production of Ko-tachi by AMAKUNI 天国 and it is understood also that he used the finest steel in the excellent quality upon special request, impressively deep in curve in dignified manner. Furthermore, elaborately quenching hamon boundary line gives off sparkling flash also Hiraji-surface shows clear indication of Midare-Utsuri reflection. Among his extant works of SUKENARI 祐成, this Ko-tachi is superior to the other examples in clearly sparkling flash of Hamon.

with) Black stone surface lacquered scabbard Uchikatana koshirae
(click HERE for entire Koshirae / HERE for each fitting)
  • Fuchi/kashira : Japanese radish design, Shakudo Ishime-ji stone surface, Takabori carving. Shakudo/copper Iroe, unsigned
  • Menuki : Radish design, Shakudo Yobori carving
  • Tsuba : Crescent moon, Triple stars standing out against Clouds motif, Shakudo Nanako-ji surface Gold fukurin rim, unsigned
  • Tsuka : White rayskin gold-brown silk cord lozenge wrapped
Copper ground gold foiled double layers Habaki collar, preserved in an original Koshirae mounting (no shira-saya plain wood mounting included, available manufacture for value)
Good old polish/Condition scale: mint - excellent (using a scale of mint-excellent-very good-good-fair-poor)
reference data :
Kashima Susumu, Osafune-cho-shi/Token-hen zuroku, Otsuka Kougei-sha, 1998