MURAMASA, Nidai / 2nd Gen - SamuraiSword.com

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SIGNED; MURAMASA

Nidai / 2nd Gen., ISE province

Ten-Mon period, Circa 1532, Very rare!

Dealt with “Oni” (Devil) to make supreme blades

His blades are cursed against the Tokugawa family

Juyo token by the NBTHK

“MURAMASA” LIVED DURING THE BUN-GI (1501 AD.) ERA, IN “ISE” PROVINCE. THE SUPERSTITION SURROUNDING HIS BLADES, FIRST EMERGED IN 1603, WHEN “TOKUGAWA IEYASU” WAS EMPOWERED AS THE FIRST “SHOGUN” OF JAPAN! IEYASU, HARBORED STRONG, AND JUSTIFIED SUPERSTITIONS REGARDING “MURAMASA” BLADES. THESE WERE A DIRECT RESULT OF NUMEROUS TRAUMATIC AND VIOLENT INCIDENTS THAT TOOK PLACE IN HIS LIFE. BOTH HIS FATHER AND HIS GRANDFATHER WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED BY “MURAMASA” BLADES, AS WERE NUMEROUS OTHER FRIENDS AND RELATIVES, SOME OF WHOM WERE KILLED. THE BREAKING LEVEL OF HIS TOLERANCE WAS REACHED, WHEN HE WAS PERSONALLY, BADLY CUT BY A “MURAMASA” BLADE. THIS CONVINCED HIM THAT THE BLADES OF “MURAMASA” WERE CURSED, AGAINST THE ENTIRE “TOKUGAWA FAMILY”. IEYASU ISSUED AN EDICT FORBIDDING SAMURAI FROM CARRYING, AND OWNING MURAMASA BLADES. TO VIOLATE THIS EDICT MADE ONE ELIGIBLE FOR CAPITAL PUNISHMENT. THE NORMAL FORM OF EXECUTION WAS CRUCIFIXION.

MANY OF THE MURAMASA BLADES WERE “O-SURIAGED”, (THE ORIGINAL NAKAGO / TANG WAS CUT OFF) THEREBY REMOVING THE SIGNATURE. OTHERS HAD THE SIGNATURE FILED OFF, AND THE NAME OF ANOTHER SWORD MAKER INSCRIBED IN ITS PLACE. IT IS SAID THAT THE “SHOGUN IEMITSU” (THE GRANDSON OF IEYASU) ORDERED THAT MURAMASA BLADES BE DESTROYED. THIS RESULTED IN SIGNED EXAMPLES BECOMING NEARLY EXTINCT. NO ONE WOULD DARE TO OPPOSE “IEMITSU”, AS HE (UNLIKE HIS GRANDFATHER) RULED JAPAN WITH AN “IRON HAND”, AND TRUSTED NO ONE. THESE EDICTS, WERE ENFORCED THROUGHOUT THE NEARLY 300 YEAR RULING PERIOD OF THE TOKUGAWA FAMILY.

MURAMASA, AND HIS BLADES BECAME THE SOURCE OF MANY LEGENDS, SUPERSTITIONS, NOVELS AND THEATER PLAYS. IT IS BELIEVED BY MANY, MURAMASA WHILE BRILLIANT WAS ALSO QUITE INSANE, AND THAT HE “MADE A DEAL” WITH “ONI” (THE DEVIL), IN EXCHANGE FOR THE ABILITY TO PRODUCE THE FINEST QUALITY, BLADES OF SUPREME SHARPNESS. THERE IS A STORY ABOUT A DAIMYO, THAT PERFORMED A CUTTING TEST, BY PLACING A “MASAMUNE”, AND A “MURAMASA” IN A RAPIDLY FLOWING STEAM, SIDE BY SIDE, HE THEN FLOATED LEAFS TOWARD THE STANDING BLADES. NONE OF THE LEAFS WERE CUT BY THE “MASAMUNE”, WHILE THE “MURAMASA” CUT ALL OF THEM THAT STRUCK IT. THE SEVERED LEAFS THEN BEGAN TO DANCE AROUND THE BLADE IN A WHIRLPOOL PATTERN, AS IF TO TESTIFY TO ITS DEMONIC AURA. IT IS ALSO SAID, THAT NO SAMURAI COULD DRAW A MURAMASA BLADE, AND REPLACE IT IN ITS SAYA (SCABBARD), WITHOUT IT FIRST DRAWING BLOOD. THE ADVISORIES OF THE TOKUGAWA FAMILY, WOULD SACRIFICE ALMOST ANYTHING TO GAIN POSSESSION OF A TRUE MURAMASA BLADE. A SIGNED, AND VERIFIED MURAMASA, IT PERHAPS THE RAREST BLADE A COLLECTOR, COULD HOPE TO ADD TO HIS COLLECTION.

Translation:

jûyô No 4906

Certificate

katana, mei: Muramasa (??)

nagasa 67.4 cm, sori 2.2 cm

shinogi-zukuri, iori-mune, chû-kissaki; the kitae is an itame and the hamon a hardly undulating notare that is mixed with gunome, ko-midare, and other elements and that appears as hitatsura along the monouchi; the bôshi is notare with a ko-maru-kaeri on the omote, and a rather pointed kaeri on the ura side; the tang is ubu, just the tip was cut off a little, shows katte-sagari yasurime, and has three mekugi- ana of which two are plugged

According to the result of the shinsa committee of our society we judged this work as authentic and rate it as jûyô-tôken.

July 1st 1975

[Foundation] Nihon Bijutsu Tôken Hozon Kyôkai, NBTHK

[President] Honma Junji (????)

NBTHK Juyo Zufu (1975)

Juyo Translation (Certificate & Zufu):

Designated as jûyô-tôken at the 23rd jûyô-shinsa held on July 1st 1975

katana, mei: Muramasa (??)

Akita Prefecture, Kudô Shigeyoshi (????)

Measurements

nagasa 67.4 cm, sori 2.2 cm, motohaba 3.0 cm, sakihaba 2.1 cm, kissaki-nagasa 3.8 cm, nakago-nagasa 17.0 cm, nakago-sori 0.2 cm

Description

Shape: shinogi-zukuri, iori-mune, sakizori, chû-kissaki

Kitae: itame-hada with shirake-utsuri

Hamon: widely hardened but hardly undulating notare that is mixed with gunome, ko-midare, and tobiyaki and that tends to hitatsura along the monouchi, the nioiguchi is overall rather tight and subdued bôshi: notare with on the omote side a ko-maru, and on the ura sude a rather pointed kaeri, the kaeri itself runs back wide and with midare on both sides

B?shi: notare-komi with a brief kaeri that tends to yakitsume

Nakago: ubu, just the tip was cut off a little, kirijiri, katte-sagari yasurime, three mekugi-ana (two plugged), the sashi-omote side bears below of the mekugi-ana and towards the back of the tang a niji- mei

Explanation

This is an ubu-katana by the 2nd generation Muramasa of which just a little bit of the tip of the tang was cut off. Muramasa lived in Kuwana (??) in Ise province, and the oldest extant dated blade is from Bunki one (??, 1501), which is a work of the 1st generation. The 2nd generation was active around Tenbun (??, 1532-1555) and the 3rd generation around Tenshô (??, 1573-1592) and it was the 2nd generation who was most skillful.

This katana shows a hitatsura-like deki and thus demonstrates one of various known workmanships of Muramasa. It is of excellent quality.

“A Muramasa Blade” By Louis Wertheimber. (Circa 1887).

Solid silver, "Daimyo class" Kodogu (fittings)

Koshirae- NTHK-NPO Certificate & translation

kantei-sho (???) – Certificate

katana-koshirae (??)

toppei-koshirae with en suite fittings and cherry tree bark-style lacquer saya

(??????????)

shôshin (??) – Authentic

Heisei 28 nen 2 gatsu 26 nichi (????????????) – February 26th 2016

Non Profit Organization (?????????)

Nihon Tôken Hozon Kai (???????) – NTHK

Board Chairman (???): Miyano Teiji (????)

No T. 1600149

meibun (??) – Signature: mumei

tsukurikomi (????) – Shape:

shitaji (??) – Foundation:

zugara (??) – Motif/Design:

hori (??) – Carvings/Engravings:

sunpô (??) – Measurements: overall length 96.5 cm

koshirae (??) – Mounting: tsuka with white same and black hishimaki wrapping;

fuchigashira, kurigata, and kojiri en suite; menuki of shakudô,

in katachibori and iroe, depicting insects; tsuba of iron, in

mokkô-gata, with a shakudô-fukurin, and ko-sukashi, mei

“Yamakichibei” (???)

bikô (??) – Remarks: recent/modern product

shinsa’in natsu’in (?????) – Seals of Judges: 5 seals

A Owari province, Nidai (2nd generation) Yamakichibei tsuba circa early Edo period

TSUBA – NTHK-NPO Certificate & translation

kantei-sho (???) – Certificate

tsuba (?)

Owari, Nidai Yamakichibei (????????) – 2nd generation Yamakichibei

shôshin (??) – Authentic

Heisei 28 nen 2 gatsu 26 nichi (????????????) – February 26th 2016

Non Profit Organization (?????????)

Nihon Tôken Hozon Kai (???????) – NTHK

Board Chairman (???): Miyano Teiji (????)

No T. 1600148

meibun (??) – Signature: Yamakichibei (???)

tsukurikomi (????) – Shape: mokkô-gata

shitaji (??) – Foundation: iron, polished finish, shakudô-fukurini

zugara (??) – Motif/Design: gourds and dumplings motif

hori (??) – Carvings/Engravings: sukashi with the inome plugged with gold

sunpô (??) – Measurements: height 7.9 cm, width 7.4 cm

koshirae (??) – Mounting:

bikô (??) – Remarks: early Edo period

shinsa’in natsu’in (?????) – Seals of Judges: 5 seals

“Masterpiece”, in the Art of lacquer work

?? Muramasa Katana

ERA:Ten-Mon 1532

APPROXIMATE AGE OF BLADE:500 Years

THE NAKAGO (TANG):Ubu

MEI (MAKERS SIGNATURE):Muramasa This is on the Omote (side worn away from the body)

JIRI (TANG END):Saki-kuri (straight cut)

MEKUGI ANA (HOLE IN TANG FOR RETAINING PEG):3, with 2 filled

Mekugi-ana from other mountings

—————————————————————-

BLADE TYPE:Katana

STYLE:Shinogi-Zukuri (most popular style)

MUNE (BACK RIDGE):Iori (peaked)

NAGASA (LENGTH OF CUTTING EDGE):67.4 cm / 26 ½”

SORI (CURVATURE):2.2 cm / 7/8”

Motohaba (WIDTH):3.0 cm / 1 ¼”

BOSHI: (TEMPERING IN POINT):Ko-maru w/ deep turn back

KISSAKI (POINT STYLE):Ikubi (medium point)

HAMON :(TEMPERING, MARTENSITE):Notare/Gomone mix, Tobiyaki with Hitsasura in the Monouchi

HADA (BLADE GRAIN STYLE):Itame w/ Shirake-Utsuri (scattered Utsuri)

KOSHRAE (FITTINGS):Fine Daimyo class with solid silver, insect theme Kodogu, Iron Tsuba, and High quality lacquer saya

——————————————————————

CONDITION:Pristine

KIZU (FLAWS):None

POLISH:100%

DAMAGE:None

HABAKI:One piece gold

SHIRA SAYA (STORAGE CASE)

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