Daisho
S8867
DAI signed:Owari-koku KATSUSHIGE The fifth month, the second year of Keio
SHO signed:Owari-ju Katayama KATSUSHIGE-saku
with)Brown brimming lacquered notches sheath Silver waves furniture
Shin-shin-to (End of Edo period/The second year of Keio A.D.1866) Owari
DAI:Length of cutting edge74.8cm Curvature1.1cm Width of base34.6mm Width of Yokote23.4mm Thickness of base8.8mm
SHO:Length of cutting edge40.4cm Curvature0.5cm Width of base37.1mm Width of Yokote34.6mm Thickness of base8.6mm
NBTHK(Tokubetsu Kicho)
In the middle of 19 th century during the end of Edo period, Smith Katsushige, real name Katayama Hikoichiro, who lived in Chita District, Owari province, generally made heroically brave swords while public opinion had reached the boiling point over the principle of advocating reverence for the Emperor and the expulsion of foreigners. The large sword has the fluent, fully cursive style of writing for the date of year that reads the fifth month, the second year of Keio (A..D.1866). The length of cutting edge extends as long as 74.8cm and has shallow curve. The entire blade is heavy on both hands of which thickness on base is as much as 8.8mm. Kitae-hada forging pattern is large Itame and Mokume hada mixing in with flowing mark here and there.The surface is covered in with blinking hard metal granules that is to say JI-NIE and thick NIE lines entwines and boils over. In the interior of temper is strong nie based, deep nioi fills up. There is thick nie feet works toward the cutting edge and thick nie lines so called Kinsen or Inazuma(zigzag) crossing over longer and frequently, upper the sword, stronger Nie that generates double temper, temper splits over the surface so called Yubashiri or Tobiyaki and crescent-shaped thick Nie lines(Uchinoke) boiling hard along the temper line. There is temper speckled along back ridge and the tip is a blaze up then deeply turns back.
The Wakizashi holds another heroical shape of which the tip had extremely grown long, rich and massive in hiraji. The forging technique seems rather finely forged, Gunome and Togari zigzag, some spotted temper marks spills over the hiraji. Long feet works and thick nie line Kinsen is dripping across the feet. Temper of tip is irregular large gunome and upper becomes calms shallow wavy then small circle deeply turns back. Both DAI and SHO show typical style of a royalist right before the Meiji Restoration. This daisho set of swords is surely stands out among similar works and it is worth of mention that both blades hold almost original shape when they were made 140 years ago or even more.
Another high light of this Daisho is full complete set of Koshirae which was made by Imura Kasho exclusively on about the 51th year of Showa and a Fuchi is sighed [Kiju Kazan-saku Chokin Gasai (seal)] where is understood that this koshirae was made when he was 77 years old. This elaborately made daisho koshirae set deserves special mention and upgrade the dignity of this KATSUSHIGE daisho pair.
Copper ground/gold plated Habaki collar/Shirasaya plain wood mountings include.
Weight: 7000.00 gms
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