Juyo - "Chogi / Nagayoshi" - SamuraiSword.com

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“Chogi / Nagayoshi” Only signed “Juyo” Tachi known!

One of Masamune’s 10 students

This blade is early, Soshu Style

Juyo token by the NBTHK

“SHIBUI STYLE”, QUITE & ELEGANT, FINEST QUALITY SHAKUDO, WITH PURE GOLD OUTLINE TRIM, PLEASE NOTE THE “GOLD TOKUGAWA MON’S”. THE SUBDUED URBANITY, OF THE FITTINGS, DO NOT DETRACT FROM, OR VANQUISH THE IMPORTANCE OF THE “ULTRA RARE “CHOGI” TACHI BLADE WITHIN. THIS IS THE ONLY SIGNED, “JUYO CERTIFIED”, CHOGI TACHI! IT IS THEREFORE PRESUMABLE, THAT THIS IS, THE FINEST EXAMPLE THAT IS KNOWN TO EXIST.

KOSHIRAE’S (FITTINGS) LIKE THESE ARE NORMALLY USED FOR OFFICIAL COURT PROCEEDINGS, IN THE PRESENCE OF THE “EMPEROR”, AND OR THE “SHOGUN”. THE PREVIOUS OWNER WAS A MEMBER OF THE “TOKUGAWA” (SHOGUNS) FAMILY, PLEASE SEE THE MON’S (FAMILY CREST) ON THE HANGERS, AND MENUKI. OFFICIAL COURT TACHI’S, OF THIS STYLE WERE OFTEN CARRIED IN PLACE OF THE “KAZARI”.

J?y?-t?ken at the 36th j?y? shinsa held on May 25, 1990

tachi, mei: Bish? Osafune Ch?… (ika-kire) (Ch?gi) (?????????????) – “Bish? Osafune Ch?… (below cut off, but signature is that of Ch?gi)”

?saka Prefecture, Kawamura Sadamitsu (????)

Measurements

nagasa 66.95 cm, sori 2.0 cm, motohaba 2.6 cm, sakihaba 1.8 cm, kissaki-nagasa 2.3 cm, nakago-nagasa 24.3 cm, nakago-sori 0.2 cm

Description

Keij?: shinogi-zukuri, iori-mune, in relation to nagasa a relatively slender mihaba, rather deep sori, ch?-kissaki

Kitae: dense itame that features ji-nie, chikei, and a faint midare-utsuri

Hamon: koshi no hiraita-gunome in nie-deki with a somewhat subdued nioiguchi and mixed with ko-notare, ko-gunome, ashi, y?, sunagashi, and kinsuji

B?shi: on the haki-omote side midare-komi, on the ura side tending to sugu, on both sides with a ko-maru-kaeri and hakikake

Horimono: on the omote side a bonji and a suken, on the ura side a bonji and gomabashi

Nakago: suriage, kurijiri, the original yasurime are indiscernible, the new yasurime are sujikai, four mekugi-ana (of which one is plugged), the haki-omote side retains centrally and towards the tip of the tang a largely chiseled five-character signature

Explanation

Within the system of Osafune smiths, Ch?gi (??) belonged to a different school than Kanemitsu (??) and his workmanship tends even more to the S?sh? tradition than it is the case with the latter, to the extent that the traditional saying exists that “when a Bizen work does not look like Bizen, it is by Ch?gi.” Signed tachi by Ch?gi are rare as almost all long swords in existence are unsigned and attributed to this smith. Compared to Kanemitsu, Ch?gi’s jiba is more nie-laden and his hamon is larger dimensioned, richer in variety, and usually features prominent sunagashi and kinsuji. This tachi retains a naga-mei at the tip of the tang of which the last character for was cut off in course of the suriage. The style of the signature, however, is unmistakably that of Ch?gi, which makes this blade one of the few and valuable examples of signed long swords that exist by this smith. The interpretation with a somewhat subdued nioiguchi and yamagata (lit. “mountain-shaped”) midare formed by two gunome elements, which are also referred to as mimigata (lit. “ear-shaped”), are very typical for Ch?gi as well.

This Sword is not available for purchase.

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