A YAMATO DEN MIHARA TACHI

                                                                                                                                    大和三原

 

                                                                                    

 

                                                                                         

 

                                                                                       

     As can be seen this blade has been attributed to the Mihara den which follows the Yamato tradition. This blade has NBTHK Hozon paper. The Mihara school was started by Masaie. This is a heavy weight Tachi that was cut down for use as Katana.

MIHARA KATANA – NBTHK Hozon- attributed Mihara den, Yamato, Certified-NBTHK-2002-August-01to the Mihara school-Mumei, Nakago-osuriage, kiri, 3 mekugiana, 20.5 cm, hamon & bohi enter nakago due to shortening, Sori-toriizori, 2cm Mune-iorimune Nagasa-68.5cm Shinogizukuri Motokasane- 0.7cm Motohaba-3.0cm Sakikasane-0.7cm Sakihaba-2.3cm Shinogi-high Jihada-itame Hamon- hososuguba w/ nie Horimono-bohi, kakinagashi, hisakiagari Boshi-omaru Kissaki-chukissaki Period- Kamakura, Province- Bingo

 This sword is nioi deki with ko-nie and shows the characteristics of Ko-Mihara swords but has a rather shorter kaeri than most Mihara that have a long kaeri which is a common characteristic.

                                                      

                                                                                     

   The Mihara school founded in the province of Bingo was started by Masaie in the late Kamakura period (Showa 1312-1317) and lasted until the Muromachi period and is contained within the Yamato tradition.

Ko-Mihara  late Kamakura, include such smiths as Masaie, Masahiro, Masamitsu, Masakiyo, Masanobu

Chu-Mihara early Muromachi

Sue-Mihara late Muromachi, include such smiths as Masachika, Masaoku, Masazane, Masamori, Masayoshi, Masamune, Masanobu, Masanori

 

 

 

                  AN INTERESTING SWORD WITH TEST CUT INSCRIPTION

                                                                                     大和守源康道

 

                                                                                   

        This sword bears an inscription that reads "Yotsu Do Setsudan" (4 bodies cut at torso); Kibi (no) Makane (iron of Kibi ?); Shigesato Masayuki (name). Kibi was an old name for the Bizen, Bitchu, Bingo and Mimasaka area. The signature is cut off at "Yamato (no) Kami". Thanks to Moriyama Koichi sama for the help in translating the inscription.

 

 

  

                                                            

 

 

This sword, when I bought it, was tentatively attributed by the seller to Yamato no Kami Yasusada. Well as always when a relatively famous smith is attributed to a sword you have to investigate thoroughly and be sure. Although this sword is suriage leaving only ‘Yamato no Kami’ certain characteristics can be determined. Yasusada can be eliminated as a contender almost immediately since the strokes are in no way similar and the kanji of ‘Kami’ is entirely different. Subsequently, having checked oshigata of smiths using ‘Yamato no Kami’ as prenom the closest match, indeed stroke for stroke, was ‘Yamato no Kami Minamoto Yasumichi’ 大和守源康道. In the Fujishiro oshigata the mekugiana, as well, is aligned as on this sword , one of the two shown. The placement, turnback and style leads me to conclude an accurate attribution of this sword must be by Yasumichi. This is a Shinto smith active around Kanbun in the Mino tradition Owari province.

 

                                                                                        

                                                 

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