O34358(W3222)
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Sun-nobi Tanto signed Sagami-no-kami Fujiwara MASATSUNE with)Black Roiro lacquered scabbard Karahana Iwa-sasa crest Chisa-katana Koshirae

Momoyama period (Tensho 20th -/1592-) Owari
Length of cutting edge 32.8cm No curvature Width of base 29.8mm Thickness of base 5.8mm

NBTHK(TokubetsuHozon) certificate

with)Black Roiro lacquered scabbard Karahana Iwa-sasa crest Chisa-katana Koshirae

NBTHK(Tokubetsu Hozon) Tōsougu Futatokoro certificate

The first smith MASATSUNE 初代政常, family name Nōdo 納戸, given name Sasuke 佐助, later changed to Tarōsuke 太郎助 . He is the second son of Nōdo Sukeuemon KANETSUNE 納戸助右衛門兼常 who is the 8th generation descendant of Nara-Tarō KANETSUNE 奈良太郎兼常, born in the 5th year of Tenbun (1534) , Nōdo-town, Mino province (now Sen-nen town, Seki-city, Gifu-pref.)
In the 10th year of Eiroku (1567), when he was 33 years old, he had moved to Komaki-town, Kasuga-gun. He made 100 spears to the order of Tokugawa Ieyasu for the Battle of Komaki and Nagakute and was granted silver coins 銀子.
He was granted Sagami-no-kami title 相模守 from Emperor in the 11th day, the 5th month, 20th year of Tensho (1592) then changed his smith name to MASA-TSUNE 政常　of which MASA 政 was granted by Ikeda Terumasa 池田輝政, a feudal lord for that days in Komaki castle town.
At his age of 55 years, in the 17th day, 11th month, the 5th year of Keicho (1592), he moved to Kiyosu town at the same time Matsudaira Tadayoshi 松平忠吉 (the 4th son of Tokugawa Ieyasu) became the Owari Kiyosu feudal lord. After the premature death of Matsudaira Tadayoshi in the 3rd month, the 12th year of Keicho (1607), at one point he had retired from the handling of practical affairs and his heir, the 2nd gen. Sagami-no-kami MASATSUNE succeeded.
In the 26th day, the 4th month, 12th year of Keicho (1607), Tokugawa Yoshinao 徳川義直 (the 9th son of Tokugawa Ieyasu) replaced to be a feudal lord of Kiyosu castle town. Both 1st and 2nd gens. of MASATSUNE had exclusively worked for the vassals of the Owari Tokugawas with as much as a one hundred koku stipend.
However in the 14th year of Keicho (1609), his son 2nd gen. MASATSUNE died quite young, he made a comeback to the stage with the additionally signed monk name [Nyudō入道] at the end of his signature. He again moved to Tomita-town, Nagoya (now in Sakura-dōri Honmachi, Naka-ku, Nagoya) when Nagoya castle relocation in the 2nd month, the 15th year of Keicho(1610).
Passed away in the 28th day, 2nd month, the 5th year of Genna (1619), was 85 years old.
He has been highly praised for his major works of spears, halberds, Kogatana for Kozuka and Tanto but quite rare of existent Katana works. Tanto work holds high dignity and enhanced his reputation as the top expert of Owari.
This Sun-nobi style long Tanto with the typical inscription of Sagami-no-kami Fujiwara MASATSUNE by 1st gen. 相模守藤原政常 is wide in Mihaba and fullly swelling in upper Fukura area holding no curvature upper and back ridge is Iori-mune (triangle back ridge).
Forging is delicately fine Mokume burl and covered in thick Ni-nie granules that generates darkish-blue Chikei Nie scene appeared in surface. Hamon is tight-clear Nie based medium Suguha straight with shallow wavy indication and the bondary area works with Hoture, Niju-ha actovity whereas the interior is filled in whitish Nioi mist.
The meticulously executed carvings of a Suken, Sanskrit bonji, and Goma-bashi evoke the owner’s profound faith and heartfelt devotion, offered in prayer for the protection and blessing of the deities and Buddhas.
Nakago is UBU in original. One peg hole, Sujikai (slanting left filemark). The signature chisel is thick and shows vigorous style, the highlight is the final stroke of TSUNE 常 is quite long. The deep, lustrous black patina of the tang, developed over more than four centuries, imparts an exceptional sense of venerable antiquity and elegance.

Accompanied by a Chisa-katana Koshirae in Black Ro-iro Lacquered Saya with Kara-hana and Iwa-sasa crest Designs
(Complete Koshirae, Omote / Ura / Detailed Views of the Sword Fittings)
  • Complete Set of Fittings (fuchi-kashira, solid-gold menuki, kozuka and kogai): Karahana and Iwa-sasa crest design : Futatokoro-mono, signed Inoue Masashige 井上尹茲 (*) (Tokubetsu Hozon Tosogu)
  • Tsuba: Shibuichi ground with Ishime-ji finish, unsigned
  • Tsuka: Wrapped in white Samegawa, with red-black silk ito in a conventional Hishimaki-style wrap
Accompanied by a gold-foiled double layer Habaki and preserved in Shirasaya.

(*) Inoue Masashige 井上尹茲 : A pupil of Inoue Masatugu (尹次) and brother of Ooka Masatoshi (尹寿). Resident of Edo, late Edo period
reference data:
[Owari Tōkōfu] Iwata Atou in 1985Publisher : Nagoya city Board of Education