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Juyo Yasusada

w/ 3 body cutting test

Musashi & Echizen Province’s C- 1640 AD

Student of Yasutsugu 1st & Kaneshige 1st

Yasusada Katana with 3 body Tameshigiri

ERA : 1660

APPROXIMATE AGE OF BLADE : 346 Years

THE NAKAGO ( tang ): Ubu (original, untouched)

MEI: ( makers signature ): Yamato (no) Kami Yasusada

JIRI: ( tang end ): kuri

MEKUGI ANA: (hole in tang for retaining peg ): 1

——————————————————————

BLADE STYLE: Shinogi-Zukuri (most popular style)

MUNE: ( back ridge ): Iori (peaked)

NAGASA: ( length of cutting edge ): 74.3 cm / 29 5/16”

SORI: ( curvature ): 0.8 cm / 1/4”

MOTOHABA: ( width ): 3.0 cm / 1 ¼”

BOSHI: ( tempering in point ): Notare Komaru

KISSAKI: ( point style ): Ikubi (medium point)

HAMON: ( tempering, martensite ): Notare mixed with Gonome, small Nie, Sunagashi

HADA: ( blade grain style ): KoItame w/ Jinie, Ohada mixed near machi

——————————————————————

CONDITION: Pristine

KIZU: ( flaws ): None

POLISH: 100%

HABAKI: Two piece gold

SHIRA SAYA ( storage case )

Description

“YAMATO NO KAMI YASUSADA”, IS ONE OF THE MOST SOUGHT AFTER KAJI (SWORD SMITH) OF THE SHINTO PERIOD. RECENT RESEARCH BY THE “NBTHK” HAS REVILED SOME HERETOFORE UNKNOWN FACTS ABOUT HIM. THESE DISCOVERIES ENHANCE THE VALUE OF HIS WORKS, INCREASE THERE DESIRABILITY, AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE SIMILARITIES IN WORKMANSHIP WITH KAZUSA KANESHIGE, ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS SWORD SMITHS OF THE “SHOGUN IEYASU GROUP” OF PERSONAL RETAINERS.

IT WAS PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT THAT “YASUSADA” WAS BORN IN ECHIZEN, AND STUDIED ONLY UNDER “YASUTSUGU 1st”. HIS PLACE OF BIRTH HAS BEEN PROVEN TO BE “KISHU” (Kii PROVENCE) WERE HE STUDIED UNDER “KAZUSA KANESHIGE” (MAKER TO THE “TODA” FAMILY), WHO WAS AN INSTRUCTOR (SENSEI) WITH THE “ISHIDO SCHOOL”. “YASUSADA” THEN MOVED TO “EDO” (TOKYO), AS DID “KANESHIGE” WERE BOTH OF THEM ALONG WITH “TSUGUHIRA” BECAME STUDENTS OF THE FAMOUS “YASUTSUGU 1st” GENERATION (PLEASE SEE GENEALOGY CHART), WHO WAS THE PERSONAL, AND FAVORITE SWORD SMITH TO “TOKUGAWA IEYASU”. “KANESHIGE”, HAD A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE “YAMANO” FAMILY OF SWORD TESTERS (SEE THE KANESHIGE PICTURED HEREWITH). HE WORKED CLOSELY WITH “NAGAHISA” WHO PERFORMED THE MAJORITY OF THE TEST’S ON HIS BLADES. THIS RELATIONSHIP WAS PASSED ON TO “YASUSADA”. NAGAHISA YAMANO, PERFORMED THE TEST ON THIS BLADE, AND THE MAJORITY OF HIS TESTED BLADES. IT IS MOST EXTRAORDINARY, THAT 3 BLADES WITH CUTTING TEST’S BY THESE FAMOUS MAKERS WHO STUDIED, WORKED, AND IN ALL PROBABILITY SOCIALIZED TOGETHER OVER 350 YEARS AGO, WOULD BE UNITED TOGETHER TODAY. PLEASE SEE THE GENEALOGY CHART, AND PHOTOS.

History of Tameshigiri

The oldest “Tameshigiri” documented in Japanese history goes back to Heianera (794-1185). Two swords were made by renowned swordsmiths at that time by order of Tada Mitsunaka. One was called “Hige Kiri” since it cut through beard and the other was called “Hiza Maru” since it cut through knee joint of the bodies of executed criminals used for test cutting. Both swords were designated as family treasures of Genji clan. The story was cited in the first chapter of “Heike Monogatari (A Story of Heike Clan)” and several other sword specialty books written during the following centuries. However, who made these swords and who actually tested them is not clear. Neither sword exists any longer.

During Kamakura era (1185*-1333), several stories about Tameshigiri using stone as target evolved. Stones and rocks that were said to be tested with swords made by Kanenaga, Munechika and others still exist. However, most of these tories are fictional legends without reliable documentation. *Officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first sh ? gun , Minamoto no Yoritomo .

List of Wazamonoor Token no Wazamono Ichiran(???????) is a list of 228 sword smiths. FROM THE LIST PUBLISHED BY: “YAMANO ASAEMON”, IN 1805.

Ryowazamono (GREAT MASTER WORKS)

Osafune Nidai Iesuke (??????)
Wakasa no kami Ujinobu (?????)
Jiro Saemon Katsumitsu (???????)
Ukyo Susumu Katsumitsu (?????)
Sandai Kanesada (????)
Seki Kanefusa (???)
Seki Kanetsune (???)
Kouzukenosuke Kaneshige (?????) <——————–“KANESHIGE”
Echizen Kaneue (????)
Echizen Kanenori (????)
Aizu Kanesada (????)
Echigo no kami Kunihiro (?????)
Nidai Yamashiro no kami Kunitsutsu (???????)
Yamashiro Dairoku Shodai Kunitsugu (????????)
Okayama Kunimune (????)
Daiyogo Kunishige (?????)
Musashi Dairoku Shodai Koreichi (????????)
Iga no kami Sadatsugu (?????)
Nanki Shodai Shigekuni (??????)
Tsudayoshi Sukenao (?????)
Osafune Sukemitsu (????)
Yokoyama Sukesada (????)
Osafune Tadamitsu (????)
Ichi Saoshi Tadatsuna (?????)
Settsu no kami Shodai Tadayuki (???????)
Mutsu Tadashige (????)
Soshu Shodai Shigehiro (??????)
Tsushima no kami Tsunehiro (?????)
Tango no kami Naomichi (?????)
Osafune Shodai Norimitsu (??????)
Sukeuemon Norihiro (??????)
Osafune Shonidai Norimitsu (???????)
Osafune Hidesuke (????)
Omi no kami Shodai Hisamichi (???????)
Kanehusa Shoshin (????)
Itakura Shonidai Masatoshi (???????)
Yamato Dairoku Shodai Masanori (????????)
Oshu Masanaga (????)
Hioki Mitsuhira (????)
Sakyo Susumu Munemitsu (?????)
Hioki Munehiro (????)
Omiya Munekage (????)
Shonidai Yasutsugu (?????) <——————————– “YASUTSUGU 1st”
Yamato no kami Yasusada (?????) <————————- “YASUSADA”
Bicchu no kami Yasuhiro (?????)
Takada Yukinaga (????)
Kyo Shonidai Yoshimichi (??????)
Osaka Shonidai Yoshimichi (???????)
Musashi no kami Yoshikado (?????)
Ise Dairoku Yoshihiro (??????)

PLEASE NOTE; THE WORKS OF “TSUGUHIRA”, IS RATED IN THE NEXT GROUP, FOR SHARPNESS.

Juyo Zufu translation:

J?y?-T?ken at the 23rd J?y? Shinsa from July 1, 1975

katana , mei : Yamato no Kami Yasusada (?????)

kinz?gan-mei : Manji sannen gogatsu nij?ninichi – Mittsu-d? kiri-otoshi – Yamano Ka’emon no J? Nagahisa + ka? (?????????????????????????????) – “Yamano Ka’emon no J? Nagahisa cut [with this blade] on the 22nd day of the fifth month of Manji three (1660) through three bodies + monogram”

Tochigi Prefecture, Ozawa Masaharu (????)

Measurements

nagasa 74.3 cm, sori 0.8 cm, motohaba 3.0 cm, sakihaba 2.05 cm, kissaki-nagasa 3.1 cm, nakago-nagasa 20. 7cm, no nakago-sori

Description

Keij? : shinogi-zukuri , iori-mune , noticeable taper, shallow sori , compact ch?-kissaki

Kitae : ko-itame that features ji-nie and that is mixed towards the base with ?-hada

Hamon : ko-nie -laden notare-ch? that is mixed with gunome and sunagashi

B?shi : notare with a ko-maru-kaeri

Nakago : ubu , kurijiri , ?-sujikai yasurime , one mekugi-ana , the sashi-omote side bears below of the mekugi-ana and towards the nakago-mune a goji-mei , the ura side bears in three columns the gold-inlaid result of a cutting test

Explanation

Traditionally, it has been believed that Yamato no Kami Yasusada came from Echizen province, but recent studies have revealed that his origins were actually with the Ishid? School (??) which was based in Kii province. In terms of blade shapes, workmanship, tang finish, and his relation to the Yamano family of sword testers, the theory that his master was Izumi no Kami Kaneshige (?????) has become widely accepted. This blade is hardened in Yasusada’s typical hamon , i.e., in a ko-notare that is mixed with gunome , and its cutting test performed by Yamano Ka’emon Nagahisa in Manji three (1660) makes it a very valuable reference.

Gallery

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