HIROFUSA 広房 was the tenth-generation descendant of Mutsu-no-Kami Daidō 陸奥守大道, real name Mishina Hanbei 三品半兵衛. He also used the pseudonym names Gihōsai 義朋斉 or Gimensai 義面斉. He is said to have set up a forging atelier in Kuwana, Ise, and to have forged swords also in Iga. Mishina Hirofusa 三品広房 having studied under Koyama Munetsugu 固山宗次, received direct instruction from him and mastered the Bizen tradition of forging. He became a representative smith of Ise, excelling especially in Gunome-chōji midare.

Kuwana (now Kuwana city, Mie pref.) was the castle town of the Matsudaira family, who held a domain of 100,000 koku. It was also the most important post town on the Tōkaidō Highway, situated between Yamashiro(Kyoto), Settsu(Osaka), Owari(Nagoya), and Edo(Tokyo).

The subject paired long and short swords (Daishō) inscribed with a dedication to the Kuwana retainer Hirose Kuninao 広瀬邦直, feature finely forged Ko-itame hada, beautifully tight grain with a splendid Jigane. The Hamon is Gunome-chōji midare mixed with Yahazu-gokoro like a notch of an arrow into which Ashi enter frequently, with portions resembling Jūka (clustered flowers). The hardened edge (Yakiba), with a slightly tightened Nioiguchi, is exceptionally bright and clear, while the Bōshi runs in irregular Midare and returns in a small circle (Komaru). The tang (Nakago), with katte-sagari Yasurime enhanced by decorative Kesho finishing, is shallowly patinated for one and a half century. The deeply spirited chisel strokes bear the typical signature inscriptions of his own.

This Dai-shō set, forged at the request of Hirose Kuninao 広瀬邦直 is recorded in the book Mie-ken Tōkō・Kinkō Meikan (Directory of Swordsmiths and Metalworkers of Mie Prefecture). It is acclaimed as a masterpiece by Mishina Hirofusa 三品広房, approaching the stylistic level of his teacher, Koyama Munetsugu 固山宗次.

Koshirae fittings: Black lacquer scabbard with inlaid fine blue pearl shell of inlay decorated in day-and-night split design (hiru-yoru waritsugi)
(click HERE for each fitting)

• Da-ishō Fuchi-Kashira: Mountain path design, Shakudō Nanako-ji, unsigned

• Dai-shō Menuki: Horse design, Shakudō relief carving with gold inlay

• Dai-shō Tsuba: Scattered cherry blossoms, Shakudō Nanako-ji, Sukibori carving with gold inlay, unsigned

• Pair of Kozuka and Kōgai: Shakudō　Nanako-ji, Takabori carving with gold inlay Kozuka signed “Yoshioka Inabanosuke”吉岡因幡介; Kōgai signed “Yoshioka Inabanosuke”吉岡因幡介

• Dai-shō Tsuka: White Samegawa with black silk cord wrap in Morotsumaki style with logenze pattern

• Dai-shō single silver-foiled copper Habaki

• Dai-shō plain wood Shirasaya storage scabbard included

reference: Tabata Tokuō, Mie-ken Tōkō・Kinkō Meikan, Mie Prefectural Historical Materials Publishing Association, 1989