M31543(T6229)

Tanto signed Mishina HIROFUSA-saku In the 8th month Ansei 2nd

Shin-shin-to End of Edo period (Ansei 2nd /1855) Ise
Length of cutting edge 27.2cm No curvature Width of base 26.3mm Thickness of base 11.9mm

NBTHK(Tokubetsu Hozon) certificate

Blade construction (kengyo) : Solidly built well-proportioned Hira-zuruki Tanto. Iori-mune in low almost no curvature, Kasane on base is extremely thick and upper Kissaki area is massively thick as well. Mihaba on base is a bit on wider side for the length and there is less degree of tapering from base to upper Fukura area which is swelling out in full. (click HERE for high resolution of the blade photograph)
Forging pattern (kitae hada) : Kitae hada is super fine Ko-Itame, strong and clear sparkling Ji-nie creates precise Chikei scene on surface.
Tempering pattern (hamon) : Hamon is fine ko-Nie base clove Choji-midare in different shape and angles where sparkling Nie accumulates thickly in boundary line. Thick lines of Clove feetl ASHI appears in the interior of temper.
Temper of tip (boshi) : Boshi forms decent medium circle turns back a bit on deeper side.
Tang (Nakago) : Nakago is UBU original. Ōsujikai (greatly slanting left) with Kesho dress filemarks The back ridge of Nakago is contoured in full with Ōsujikai (greatly slanting left) with Kesho dress filemarks. Ha- agari Kurijiri round heel shape. One Mekugi-ana peg hole. The signature in front is neatly chiselled in five character Mishina HIROFUSA-saku 三品廣房作 and the other side is inscribed with the date of year In the 8th month Ansei 2nd 安政二年八月日.

Here is a Tanto by first generation HIROFUSA 廣房 in Kuwana, Ise domain (now in Mie pref.), as the first son of smith Mishina Touemon HIROMICHI 三品藤右衛門廣道. His ordinary name is Hanbei 半兵衛 with adopted name of "Gihousai 義朋斉".
He apprenticed himself with his younger brother Mishina Tokuro HIROMICHI 三品藤九郎廣道 to their master Koyama MUNEHIRA and MUNETSUGU 固山宗平・宗次 to learn Bizen-den tradition and set up his studio at Kaji-cho, Kuwana.
According to the reference of Nihonto meikan, his posthumous works with the date of year ranges from Kaei 5 to Meiji 2 (1852-69), passed away August 19, Meiji 18 (1885).
Original copper ground Habaki. preserved in Shirasaya plain wood mounting.
Good old polish/Condition scale: excellent (using a scale of mint-excellent-very good-good-fair-poor)
reference data:
Yagase Sei'ichi, Mie-ken-no Toko, 1976
Honma Kunzan/Ishii Masakuni, Nihonto meikan, Yuzankaku, 1975
HIROFUSA cutlery shop