with) Gold leaf chaff Makie lacquer work scabbard Wakizashi Koshirae
Length of cutting edge 54.4cm Curvature 0.4cm Width of base 28.0mm Thickness of base 5.5mm Width of Yokote 19.7mm
Forging(Hada): Forging is conspicuous but fine Masame-hada. Steel gives off darkish blue impression to cover with extremely thick, sparkling hard metal martensite granules of moistened Ji-nie on Hira-ji surface. Darkish thick lines of Nie so called "CHIKEI" activity wells out from an abyss of forging steel. The extremely fine steel gives off magnificent scene of hada-ware that comes from top skilled forging and miracle quenching process.
Temper(Hamon): Hamon is strong Nie hard metal granules base, Suguha with shallow Notare indication where works with thick sparkling-Nie of martensite granules with extreme deep "Noi" mist-like crystalline area. In the interior of temper, there works with Hotsure, Kinsen bright curved threadlike areas and Sunagashi long lines of Nie. Upper the blade of Monouchi area, deeper the Nioi and brighter the Nie where those "Kinsen" and "Sukagashi" activities stands out more strikingly. Some of Nie splashes into sparkling Yubashiri and Ji-nie granules.
The uninhibited steel forging scenery of Masame and intense quench state is extremely vivid and bright to prove Bohemianism of HANKEI.
Temper of tip(Boshi): Boshi forms intense Hakikake, medium circles turn back deeply.
Tang(Nakago): Nakago is in UBU original. One peg hole. Osujikai (greatly slanting left) filemarks in front and reversed side is Katte-agari (slanting right). Back ridge of Nakago is flat with Higaki (checked) filemark. The nakago is peculiar shape - greatly uneven U-shaped so called "Ya'kkyo-kata" 薬研形 of which heel end is V-shape. The unique style of inscription HANKEI 繁慶 is engraved without notches of chisel.
HANKEI 繁慶 (unknown the year of birth and death) was born in Mikawa domain of a matchlock maker family. His real name is Noda Zenshirou 野田善四郎 with a clan of Ono 小野. He lived in Sunpu 駿府 (Shizuoka city) at the first beginning. When Tokugawa Ieyasu 徳川家康 was transferred to Bushu (Edo) in Tensho 18 (1590), he also moved to Hachiouji 八王子 in Bushu and then lived in Teppo-cho town 鉄砲町 (now 2-4 block, Nihonbashi Honmachi) to become a pupil of matchlock maker Agari Souhachirou 胝惣八郎. His initial matchlock smith name was Noda Zenshiro KIYOTAKA 野田善四郎清堯.
On after Tokugawa Ieyasu 徳川家康 retired in the 7th month Keicho 12 (1607) then went back home Sunpu domain, he again followed back to devote himself to matchlock making exclusively for Tokugawa Ieyasu 徳川家康 and Tokugawa Hidetada 徳川秀忠.
In this timing, he came across the most superior swords by Echizen YASUTSUGU 越前康継 or Nanki SHIGEKUNI 南紀重国 who served the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu exclusively and those swords greatly inspired him with an adventurous spirit to be a sword smith also. It is understood that he started to make swords from end Keicho 1610's.
Right after Tokugawa Ieyasu passed away in Gen'na 2 (1616), he went for a second time back to Teppo-cho town 鉄砲町 in Edo in order to concentrate on sword making. It is said that he changed his smith name to HANKEI 繁慶 during Genna 5 - Kanei 1 (1620-1624) and would passed away later Kanei (1630's).
He was strongly influenced by the ancient superior works and made intensive study of the old masters from Sōshu tradition and Yamato tradition like this example as well under the ancient traditional methods - mixture of hard and soft iron using refined steel from iron sands, smelting, refining by himself with his original idea of steel making and forging technique. Existing number of the swords by HANKEI is to say only dozens and there are three important cultural properties.
The subject immaculate wakizashi bears close resemblances to the work of traditional Yamato school especially of Hōshō works from Kamakura period. It is noteworthy that he intentionally relieves loosen ware of forging mark so called Hijiki-hada, that is generally seen from his Sōshu works, in honor of Yamato tradition to express well refined forging of unparalleled scene Masame-hada.
Gold leaf chaff Makie lacquer work scabbard Wakizashi Koshirae consists of :
(click HERE for entire koshirae image and HERE for higher resolution images for each metal fitting)
- Fuchi/Kashira : Samurai warriors deaign, Shakudo-Nanako-ji, Takabori carving Iroe inlay, unsigned
- Menuki : Swift horses design, Shakudo Yobori ground, Gold Iroe inlay
- Tsuba : Mokko-shape, Amitabha motif, Suaka-copper ground, Shakudo copper alloy Fukurin rim, unsigned attributed to a work of UMETADA 梅忠
- Tsuka : white layskin, Gray Indigo-blue Hoso-Ito fine silk thread Jyabara-style lozenge wrap
Gold foiled double layer Habaki collar, Preserved in a Shira-Saya plain wood mounting
Recent fresh polish/Condition scale: mint-excellent (using a scale of mint-excellent-very good-good-fair-poor).
reference data:
Honma Junji/Satou Kan'ichi, NIHONTO TAIKAN SHINTO-HEN 2, Otsuka Kogei sha April 15, 1969
