Length of cutting edge : Shinogi-zukuri, Iori mune. Of standard width with deep at machi on both sides and a thick in kasane, giving the blade a weighty and powerful construction. It bears a somewhat deep curvature and an extended chūkissaki. The sword has a solid heft in hand, exuding the valiant martial spirit of the warrior spirits. (Blade weight: 775g including habaki) (See enlarged blade photographs)
Forging (Jigane) : The Ji is forged in a finely compact ko-itame hada, brightened overall with a predominance of Masame hada. Thick ji-nie attches densely throughout, with abundant chikei running across the surface, creating a remarkably resilient forging texture. The minute ji-nie sparkles brilliantly, accompanied by vivid nie-utsuri.
Hamon: A wide suguha in nie-deki, filled with innumerable small ashi, intermixed with small gunome. The habuchi, formed in pure white ko-nie, is overlaid repeatedly with nie-suji, creating a double-edged appearance with intense hotsure activity, producing an exceptionally bright and vivid temper.
Bōshi: On both omote and ura, the temper becomes intensely frayed with vigorous hotsure before ending in yakitsume.
Nakago: Ubu. Kurijiri with the ha-agari shape. One mekugi-ana. Kesho yasurime combined with sujikai file marks. The mune side retains countour in full and inished with sujikai yasurime. The shinogi-ji on the omote bears the long signature “Ōshū Sendai-jū Fujiwara Kunikane” 奥州仙台住藤原国包 while the ura is inscribed with the date of year “In the 8th month Keiou 1st” (1865) 慶応元年八月日.
The Sendai KUNIKNE 仙台国包 line descends from Yamato Hōshō Gorō Sadamune 大和保昌五郎貞宗 of the Kamakura period. The school is said to have moved to Ōshū around the Ōei era and settled in Sendai. Serving the Date 伊達 clan, the Kunikane smiths faithfully preserved the ancient Hōshō tradition of pure masame forging, transmitting its refined classical elegance. Court titles were granted only to the first and second generations, while the succeeding fourteen generations steadfastly maintained the ancestral style and consistently adhered to the Hōshō tradition. Their jigane is distinguished by exquisitely refined masame forging and when especially well compacted, it can at first glance be difficult to distinguish from a perfectly forged muji surface.
This blade was forged by the 13th generation Kunikane, who bore the name “Hongō Eisuke” 本郷栄助 born in Bunsei 2 (1819), he was the legitimate son of the 12th generation Genbei 源兵衛 and succeeded to the family line in Kaei 1 (1848).
This sword represents a mature work forged when Kunikane was forty-seven years old. His kesho yasurime characteristically begins in a “kiri” style, while the sujikai yasurime extends continuously from the shinogi-ji down into the hira-ji. He passed away on June 16, Meiji 13 (1880), at the age of sixty-one.
Accompanied by: Uchigatana koshirae with lacquered cherry-bark scabbard
(See enlarged photographs of omote, ura, and fittings)
Fuchi-Kashira: Scattered shippō-mon design, polished iron ground with gold inlay, unsigned.
Menuki: Cherry blossom and shippō-mon design in Takabori carving with gold Iroe, unsigned.Tsuba: Round iron tsuba with openwork chrysanthemum design on both sides nikubori and ji-sukashi work, maru-mimi, ryō-hitsu-ana, unsigned, Chōshū school. (Hozon Tōsōgu)
Tsuka: White samegawa wrapped in black silk cord tsunamaki-style ito with morotsumami hishimaki.
Copper ground gilt-plated habaki. Preserved in shirasaya plain wood mounting.
References: Sendai-han Tōshō Meifu NBTHK Miyagi Prefectural Branch, September 20, Shōwa 58 (1983)
