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FUKUOKA ICHIMONJI

Attributed to “Yoshifusa” Circa 1206 AD.

“SHOGUN CLASS BLADE”

Passed down in the Tokugawa family for hundreds of years.

Juyo token by the NBTHK

Saya-gaki’s by DR. HOMMA JUNJI, AND TANOBE MICHIHIRO SENSEI

“ICHIMONJI SCHOOL” KAMAKURA PERIOD.

IT IS A VERY INTERESTING FACT THAT “ICHIMONJI”, THE MOST FAMOUS SCHOOL OF SWORD MAKING DURING THE KAMAKURA PERIOD (70 % OF TODAY’S NATIONAL TREASURE SWORDS, ARE FROM THE KAMAKURA PERIOD), ACTUALLY HAD ITS “GRASS ROOTS BEGINNINGS AT SEA”, OFF THE COAST OF “CHIKUZEN” PROVINCE! HAD THERE NEVER BEEN A BATTLE OF “DEN-NO-URA” IT IS ALMOST CERTAIN THAT THE “ICHIMONJI SCHOOL” WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN BORN! THE MAJORITY OF “ICHIMONJI” MAKERS WERE FROM BIZEN.

“KYUSHU”, HOMELAND OF THE “GENJI – HEIKE” SEA WAR, AND THE “ICHIMONJI” SCHOOL.

THE GREAT SEA BATTLE, AT “DEN-NO-URA”, WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST SEA BATTLES IN HISTORY. THE “GENJI” (MINAMOTO CLAN) , WITH A COMPLEMENT OF “850” BATTLE SHIPS, AND THE “HEIKE” (TAIRA CLAN), WITH ONLY “500”, (APPROX. “1,350” TOTAL SHIPS! THE SPANISH ARMADA, CONSISTED OF ONLY “130”) FACED OFF IN THE INLAND SEA NEAR KYUSHU, AT DEN-NO-URA, ON APRIL, 24, 1185 AD.. THE WEAPONS OF CHOICE WERE “BOW’S, AND ARROW’S. TO SHORTEN A LONG STORY, THE HEIKE HAD THE ADVANTAGE (EVEN THOUGH GREATLY OUT NUMBERED) AND WERE WINNING, DUE TO THERE SUPERIOR SEAMANSHIP. WHEN A TURNCOAT, HEIKE GENERAL BETRAYED THEM BY DISCLOSING TO THE MINAMOTO (GENJI) WHICH SHIP CARRIED THE YOUNG (5 YEAR OLD) “EMPEROR ANTOKU”. THE GENJI THEN TOOK COMMAND OF THE IMPERIAL SHIP, AND THE BATTLE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY LOST BY THE “TAIRA”.

THE YOUNG (ONLY “5” YEARS OF AGE) DEFEATED EMPEROR “ANTOKU” WAS GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMIT “SEPPUKU” , BY DROWNING. HIS MATERNAL GRAND MOTHER THE ” LADY Ii “, PRAYED WITH THE CHILD, AFTER WHICH THEN LEAPT TO THERE DEATH IN THE SEA!

THE REMAINDER OF THE MAIN LINE “HEIKE SAMURAI” FOUGHT TO THE END, AND PERISHED IN THE SEA! ABOUT THIS TIME A “MYSTIC EVENT” IS THOUGHT TO HAVE TAKEN PLACE. A “CRAB” (INDIGENOUS TO THE AREA) TOOK ON BACK MARKINGS THAT LOOK LIKE THE FACE OF A “SAMURAI WARRIOR”. IT IS BELIEVED BY MANY THAT THE SPRIT’S OF THE DEFEATED HEIKE WARRIORS, ROAM THE SEA, IN THE FORM OF THE “THE HEIKE CRAB” (NAMED AFTER THEM). TO THIS DAY THE “HEIKE CRAB” IS NOT EATEN, AND IS TOSSED BACK INTO THE SEA WHEN CAUGHT. THESE EVENTS ARE, COMMEMORATED TO THIS DAY ON, APRIL 24th. OF EVERY YEAR.

J?y?-t?ken at the 7th j?y? shinsa held on September 10, 1961

katana, mumei: Den Yoshifusa (???)

T?ky?, Sano Ry?ichi (????)

Measurements

nagasa 68.9 cm, sori 1.7 cm, motohaba 3.1 cm, sakihaba 2.0 cm, kissaki-nagasa 3.3 cm, nakago-nagasa 22.4 cm, only very little nakago-sori

Description

Keij?: shinogi-zukuri, iori-mune, due to the ?-suriage a shallow sori, ch?-kissaki

Kitae: rather standing-out, but very densely forged ko-itame that features a midare-utsuri

Hamon: ch?ji-midare with a “wet” looking nioiguchi and mixed with gunome, ashi, and y?

B?shi: midare-komi with a ko-maru-kaeri

Horimono: on both sides a b?hi that runs as kaki-nagashi into the tang

Nakago: ?-suriage mumei, kurijiri, a hint of curvature, kiri-yasurime, two mekugi-ana

Explanation

This blade can certainly be attributed to the mid-Kamakura period Ichimonji (???) School, although there is room for debate as to if it is indeed a work of Yoshifusa (??) like the period attribution says. The flamboyant hamon in ch?ji in nioi-deki is gorgeous.

HABAKI:2 piece Solid Gold

SHIRA SAYA (STORAGE CASE) SAYA-GAKI’S, BY; DR. HOMMA JUNJI, AND TANOBE MICHIHIRO SENSEI

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