| Product No. KA-0874 筑州住宗勉謹作 | |
|---|---|
| Mei |
Chikushu-ju So Tsutomu Kin-saku （筑州住宗勉謹作） Back: Dated May 8, Showa 52 （1977）, the year of Hinoto-Mi. |
| Shape | Shinogi-zukuri, iori-mune, slightly elongated chu-kissaki. Wide mihaba and relatively thin kasane, presenting a powerful yet elegant shape. |
| Region | Fukuoka Prefecture |
| Era | Showa Period |
| Length |
74.3 cm 29.3 in |
| Sori (curvature) |
1.9 cm 0.7 in |
| Motohaba |
3.3 cm 1.3 in |
| Sakihaba |
2.6 cm 1.0 in |
| Munekasane |
0.6 cm 0.2 in |
| Status | Hozon Token |
| Certification Date | May 24, 2021 |
| Registration Authority | Fukuoka Prefecture |
| Registration Date | September 17, 2020 |
| Jihada (Metal pattern) | Tightly forged ko-itame-hada, with a slight tendency to flow. |
| Hamon (Temper line) | Suguha with a soft yet bright and clear nioiguchi. |
| Bōshi (Point / Tip) | Suguha, turning back gracefully in a refined ko-maru. |
| Nakago (Tang) | Ubu, katte-sagari file marks, kurijiri tip. |
| Mekugiana (Rivet holes) | 1 |
| Habaki | Double habaki, with an upper section of solid gold and a lower section of copper covered with gold foil, both featuring file marks over the entire surface. |
| Mountings | Koshirae-tsuki |
| Koshirae | Uchigatana koshirae with a black ishime lacquered saya. |
| Koshirae Length |
107.6 cm 42.4 in |
| Tsuka Length |
26.2 cm 10.3 in |
| Tsuba | Plum Tree Under the Moon Openwork Design. Mumei (attributed to Echizen, according to the NBTHK Hozon Tosogu certificate). Iron ground, openwork, kebori, and maru-mimi. |
| Menuki | Mantis Design. Shakudo ground, katachibori with gold iroe. |
| Fuchigashira | Plain Design. Iron ground, with silver iroe on the narrow rim |
| Other details | Tsuka: White same (rayskin), wrapped with black thread in tsumami-maki style. Kojiri: Kuwagata-style kojiri with a Wave Design. |
Price |
1,250,000 JPY |
| So Tsutomu was born in Fukuoka Prefecture in 1927. He studied swordmaking under his father, the swordsmith So Hiroshi (originally signed Masamitsu). In 1955, he received official authorization to forge swords and began exhibiting his works at the Shinsaku Meito Ten (Newly Made Master Sword Exhibition). He specialized in the Soshu tradition, particularly studying the style of Minamoto Kiyomaro, a renowned master swordsmith of the late Edo period, and produced many outstanding works. He received numerous prestigious awards, including the Commissioner for Cultural Affairs Award, the Kunzan Award, and the Prince Takamatsu Award. In 1990, he was designated a Mukansa swordsmith, recognizing his exceptional skill. He was one of the leading master swordsmiths of modern Japan. He passed away in 2015. This katana was forged in 1977, when So Tsutomu was 50 years old. With a blade length of 2 shaku 4 sun 5 bu, a slightly elongated chu-kissaki, wide mihaba, and relatively thin kasane, it presents a powerful yet elegant shape. The signature is inscribed on the tachi side of the nakago. Unlike the large, flamboyant midare hamon commonly seen in his works, this katana features an unusually restrained suguha hamon. Its deep, rich nioiguchi and beautifully refined, lustrous jigane possess a quality rarely encountered in modern swords, demonstrating the swordsmith's exceptional craftsmanship. The sword is accompanied by a black ishime lacquered saya uchigatana koshirae, fitted with a Plum Tree Under the Moon Openwork Design tsuba. It passed the NBTHK Hozon Token shinsa in 2021. |
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