M11472(S1502)
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Tachi unsigned SENJUIN

Koto - early Kamakura Period (Approximately 800 years ago / from 1182 onward) Yamato
Length of cutting edge: 64.0 cm Curvature: 2.3 cm Width at base: 27.9 mm Width at Yokote: 16.6 mm Thickness at base: 6.5 mm

NBTHK(Tokubetsu Hozon) certificate

Sugata (Configuration)：Shinogi-zukuri with a high Iori-mune. The Shinogi -suji is high with pronounced Koshi-zori and leading to a compact Ko-kissaki, presenting the dignified and archaic form of an early Kamakura-period Tachi or earlier. (Enlarged blade photograph)
Jihada (Forging Pattern): Well-forged Itame-hada interspersed with Mokume, exhibiting a flowing grain pattern with Chikei appearing throughout. Fine Ji-nie adheres densely to the surface, producing a lustrous and moist appearance with Nie-utsuri. The Shinogi-ji displays pronounced Masame-hada.
Hamon (Temper Pattern): Predominantly Nie-deki Suguha, interspersed with small irregularities. A single large Gunome is tempered in the Monouchi area. The Hamon is accompanied by Njūba and Hotsure, with thick, abundant Nie forming along the Habuchi and sparkling brightly.
Bōshi (Point Temper): Ō-maru, terminating in a Yakizume-style finish.
Nakago (Tang): Ubu and unsigned (mumei). Kiri Yasurime. Two mekugi-ana. Kurijiri-shaped heel.

The Senjuin School is said to have derived its name from Senjuin-dani “Senjuin Valley”, a locality at the foot of Mt. Wakakusa in what is now Nara Park. The patrons of the Senjuin smiths were temples such as Senjuin and Tōdaiji and their swords were produced for military use. Consequently, many of the surviving works attributable to the school are unsigned. Moreover, as numerous temples were destroyed by fire during periods of warfare, their swords often shared the same fate, making surviving examples exceedingly rare.

The subject work is a rare surviving Tachi meticulously forged by the Yamato smiths of the Senjuin tradition. The Jihada consists of Itame-hada mixed with Mokume, accompanied by a somewhat flowing grain, while the Shinogi-ji exhibits prominently visible Masame-hada. The blade has a well-harmonized configulation with subdued Mihaba, an especially high Shinogi, and a highly defined deeply curved form with considerable archaic style. The Hamon is predominantly a Nie-based Suguha, interspersed with small irregularities, together with areas of Ko-chōji, as well as Nijūba.
The Nie along the Habuchi is particularly vigorous and brilliant, more intensely sparkling than that typically seen in Yamashiro blades, and stands comparison with the Sōshū tradition, renowned for the strength of its Nie. This blade displays to the fullest the exquisite beauty of Yamato workmanship.
Among the work's most noteworthy characteristics, in addition to the excellence of its workmanship, are the ancient, dignified character of its original ubu Nakago, with its venerable taste of patina. The archaic Mekugi-ana, pierced from both the Omote and Ura sides with a chisel, evoke an uninterrupted history extending over some eight centuries.
The blade brings to mind the figure of an eminent Buddhist monk who, through the prayers and esoteric practices of Buddhism, completed his spiritual discipline and devoted himself to Senju Kannon Bosatsu (the Bodhisattva of a Thousand Arms).

Gold-foiled single layer Tachi Habaki, preserved in a Shirasaya.

reference:
Honma Kunzan and Ishii Masakuni, Nihontō Meikan, Yūzankaku, 1975
note: During the Heian period, Buddhist monks in Yamato Province became a powerful force, participating in armed petitions and political struggles under the pretext of protecting the Buddhist faith. The swordsmiths of Yamato are said to have served as exclusive smiths belonged to great temples such as Tōdaiji and Kōfukuji, producing swords in response to the demands of the clergy. The Senjuin School was the oldest-established of the Yamato traditions. From the middle of the Kamakura period onward, the Taima, Tegai, Hōshō, and Shikkake Schools joined it, eventually forming the renowned “Five Schools of Yamato” and ushering in the golden age of Yamato swordsmithing.
Compared with blades from other traditions, signed works by Yamato smiths are relatively scarce. This is thought to reflect the distinctive nature of the Yamato smiths as specialists attached to Buddhist temples, whose circumstances differed from those of Yamashiro and Bizen smiths, who produced swords in response to commissions from warrior families, powerful clans, and the Imperial Court.