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“ITOMAKI-NO-TACHI”

Kunitsugu from Bichu, Circa 1394 AD

Owned By: Mizuno Daimyo of the Tokugawa Family

Certified Tokubetsu Hozon by the N.B.T.H.K.

Koshirae certified Hozon by the N.B.T.H.K.

THIS FINE ITOMAKI TACHI WAS THE PROPERTY OF THE “MIZUNO” DAIMYO FAMILY. THE “MIZUNO” ARE A BRANCH OF THE “TOKUGAWA” FAMILY, AND “MIZUNO NOBUMOTO” WAS “SHOGUN” IN 1576 AD. THIS ITOMAKI WAS PRODUCED IN THE MID- EDO PERIOD (APPROXIMATELY 1700 AD) AND REPRESENTS OUR BEST OPINION OF THE TIME SPAN THAT THE KODOGU WAS MADE. ITS BEAUTIFULLY MADE KODOGU (FITTINGS) COMPLIMENT THE WONDERFUL “MAKIE” SAYA, AND PAIN PAINSTAKINGLY MADE TSUBA. ITS OVERALL CONDITION IS EXCELLENT +. PLEASE READ THE DESCRIPTION BELOW. “ITOMAKI TACHI’S”, ARE PERHAPS THE MOST SOUGHT AFTER, AND SCARCEST OF ALL SWORDS. NO COLLECTION CAN BE TOTALLY COMPLETE WITHOUT ONE.

THE “ITOMAKI-NO-TACHI” (TACHI WITH LACING ON THE SCABBARD) CAME INTO BEING DURING THE “NAMBOKUCHO” PERIOD (1334 ~ 1392 AD.), THROUGH NECESSITY. THE USE OF ARMOR DURING THIS PERIOD WAS VERY POPULAR. THE “ITOMAKI” WAS DEVELOPED TO PREVENT ABRASION DAMAGE TO THE SAYA, THE UPPER 1/3 WAS WRAPPED (MAKI) IN THE SAME MANOR AS THE TSUKA, WITH FINE SILK LACING (ITO`). THE LOWER 2/3, WAS OCCASIONALLY PROTECTED BY A “SHIRI-ZAYA” (PROTECTIVE BOOT), THESE WERE MOST FREQUENTLY MADE OF “BEAR FUR”, RARELY; ELEPHANT HIDE, AND EVEN LEOPARD FUR, ARE SEEN (VERY DESIRABLE, IF ORIGINAL).

THE FORMAL “ITOMAKI TACHI” REPLACED (FOR THE MOST PART) THE “KAZARI” (* SEE DESCRIPTION BELOW) TACHI, AND THE “EFU-TACHI”, SO NAMED FOR ITS SHITOGI (RICE CAKE SHAPED TSUBA). THESE REMAINED IN USE THROUGH THE “EDO” PERIOD, BY THE “IMPERIAL GUARD”, AND COURT NOBLEMEN. THEY ARE OCCASIONALLY USED, EVEN TO THIS DAY.THE “ITOMAKI-NO-TACHI”, FULFILLS ITS FORMAL ROLE AS THE SYMBOL OF CHIVALRY, AT THE “IMPERIAL COURT”, IT ALSO MANIFESTS THE ANCESTRAL LINEAGE (HEREDITY IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE, IN JAPAN) OF IT OWNER.

THE FORMAL “ITOMAKI TACHI” IS THE MOST HIGHLY CHERISHED POSSESSION OF ARISTOCRAT’S, DAIMYO’S, AND ELITE SAMURAI FAMILY’S, AND IS A SYMBOL OF POWER, AND AUTHORITY. IT IS ALSO AMONG THE FINEST AND MOST DESIRABLE WORKS OF ART IN THE WORLD. THE WOODEN SAYA IS OVERLAID WITH GOLD, AND THE FINEST QUALITY OF “MAKIE” LACQUER (MADE WITH PURE GOLD), IS APPLIED IN MULTIPLE LAYERS. THE FAMILY “MON’S” (CRESTS) IS THE ONLY DECORATION USED ON THE SAYA. THEY ARE NORMALLY APPLIED IN GOLD FOIL, OR FINE GOLD LACQUER. OFTEN A CLEAR PROTECTIVE LAYER OF LACQUER IS APPLIED AS THE FINAL FINISH TO THE SAYA.

THE KODOGU ( FITTINGS ), AND TSUBA ARE NORMALLY CONSTRUCTED OF “SHAKUDO”, WHICH IS A ALLOY OF FINE COPPER, AND PURE GOLD, THAT IS THEN CHEMICALLY TREATED TO PROVIDE A FINE “BLUISH BLACK” FINNISH. THE “NANAKO” (LINES OF DOTS, LIKE SALMON ROE) IS PERHAPS THE MOST DELICATE, AND LABOR INTENSIVE SEGMENT OF THE CONSTRUCTION. THE DOTS ARE FASTIDIOUSLY APPLIED BY HAND, AND ARE SO PRECISELY DONE THAT LITTLE TO NO VARIATION IN SYMMETRY CAN BE DETECTED. NEXT EACH OF THE PRECISELY MADE, SOLID GOLD “MON’S” (FAMILY CRESTS) ARE INDIVIDUALLY SOLDERED INTO PLACE. THE FINAL PHASE IS TO APPLY THE SILK ITO MAKI, TO THE SAYA, AND TSUKA. THE CREATION OF A FINE “ITOMAKI-NO-TACHI”, CAN TAKE MORE THAN A YEAR TO ACCOMPLISH!

* THE KAZARI TACHI STYLE IS THE MOST ANCIENT OF ALL KOSHIRAE’S (SWORD MOUNTINGS). THIS STYLE HARKS TO THE “NARA” PERIOD (646 ~ 794 AD.), AT WHICH TIME THEY WERE KNOWN AS THE “KARA TACHI”, I.E. CHINESE TACHI! THERE WERE TWO BASIC TYPES’, A PLAIN VERSION FOR COMBAT USE, AND A ORNATE STYLE FOR FORMAL USE. AT THE ONSET OF THE “HEIAN” PERIOD (794 ~ 1185 AD.) THEY WERE HIGHLY REFINED, AND ADAPTED TO JAPANESE TASTE. THESE PHENOMENAL WORKS OF ART WERE CREATED OF FINELY WORKED GOLD, AND ENCRUSTED WITH JEWELS. THE WOODEN SAYA WAS ALSO GOLD COVERED, AND / OR HEAVILY GOLD LACQUERED. THE NAME WAS THEN CHANGED FROM “KARA” TACHI, TO “KAZARI” TACHI!

BITCHU, SUE (LATE) AOE` SCHOOL

THE AOE SCHOOL SMITHS DATE FROM THE LATE HEIAN PERIOD AND THE ORIGINAL SMITHS FROM AOE ORIGINATED IN BIZEN PROVINCE. THE FOUNDER WAS YASUTSUGU WHO WORKED AROUND THE HO-AN ERA (1120-1124), BUT NONE OF HIS WORKS ARE KNOWN TO EXIST. THE EARLIEST EXAMPLE FORM AOE SCHOOL THAT DOES EXIST IS THAT OF MORITSUGU FROM AROUND THE NIM-PYI ERA (1151-1154). SOME OF MORITSUGU’S STUDENTS WERE SADATSUGU, TSUNETSUGU AND TSUGUIE, WHO ALL SERVED EMPEROR GOTOBA (ICHIMONJI SCHOOL) DURING HIS EXILE. OTHER MORE PROMINENT SMITHS WERE YASUTSUGU, KANETSUGU, MASATSUNE AND TSUNETSUGU.

THE AOE SCHOOL IS DIVIDED INTO THREE DIVISIONS;

KO- AOE, (ACTIVE PRIOR TO 1238)
CHU-AOE (1238-1392)
SUE-AOE (ACTIVE AFTER 1392)

KO-AOE SMITHS WORKED IN THE YAMASHIRO TRADITION, ALL MADE VERY GRACEFULLY WITH A MORE ELEGANT STYLE AND SHAPE. ALSO WORKING IN THE YAMASHIRO STYLE, CHU-AOE SMITHS MADE ELEGANT SWORDS WHICH ARE OFTEN MISTAKEN FOR RAI AND ENJU SCHOOL BLADES; QUITE A FEW TANTO, AND COMPANION BLADES WERE MADE. WORKS FROM THE SUE-AOE GROUP ARE VERY RARE, AND TACHI’S OF THIS PERIOD ARE ALMOST NEVER SEEN. THE DEMAND FOR BLADES IN THE BICHU AREA BEGAN TO DWINDLE IN THE EARLY “O-EI” (1394) ERA, AND IN A BRIEF TIME THE QUALITY FOLLOWED SUIT. THE MAIN MAKERS OF THIS SCHOOL WERE; SADATSUGU, NAGATSUGU, KUNITSUGU, MORITSUGU, KAGETSUGU, AND IYETSUGU. THE SHAPE OF THERE BLADES CLOSELY RESEMBLE THOSE OF EARLIER AOE WORKS, AND ARE VERY WELL DONE. THERE MOST FREQUENTLY ENCOUNTERED “HAMON’S” ARE SUGUBA, SUGU GONOME, AND CHOJI, ASHI AND IRI NADO (LEAF SHAPE PATTERNS), ARE OFTEN SEEN.

DUE TO THE ABOVE MENTIONED DECLINE IN DEMAND THE LATE AOE SCHOOL (SEE ABOVE MAKERS) ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE MOVED TO “BINGO” PROVINCE. THE SCHOOL FLOURISHED, AND THE QUALITY OF WORK CONTINUED TO IMPROVE.

THIS “TACHI” BLADE IS OF EXCEPTIONALLY HIGH QUALITY (MOST TACHI’S ARE CUSTOM ORDERED) ALTHOUGH THE SKIN IS A BIT WEEK ON THE URA SIDE (FROM POLISHING), THIS HAS VERY LITTLE EFFECT AS IT WAS AWARDED “HOZON” CERTIFICATION BY THE “NBTHK”. THE BLADE SO CLOSELY RESEMBLES AN EARLIER KAMAKURA WORK, THAT IT IS DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE THAT IT IS “O-EI” (1394 AD.) PERIOD.

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