Masamune Kodachi

[Adrian S]

Hello all,

 

I don't post here very often but am an avid lurker. I would like to ask the group about a sword in the book "Masamune - a Genius and his Lineage". On page 48 , sword number 20 is described as a Ko-dachi, 59cm from a private collection. I had always thought of Masamune's long swords as tachi , nearly all o-suriage at this time. Although Ko-dachi were in use during the end of the Kamakura period this is the first one I have seen attributed to mainline Soshu. Looking at the oshigata in particular the yakidashi and the hamachi, this sword seems to be ubu. Obviously this is a significant study piece if it is indeed an ubu long sword and a Ko-dachi at that. Does anyone know the history of this blade? Is there more information available on it from older books? I have not seen it in any other publication. This book only shows the sword from one side, I would appreciate an oshigata from the other side of the blade if anyone knows of it from another book. Does anyone know of other Masamune Ko-dachi extant? It also does not seem to have any Japanese Government designation or rating. Since it is in this book I would expect it is accepted as a Masamune, I notice another 4 tanto without Government designation. :?

 

regards,

Adrian S

[Nobody]

Does anyone know the history of this blade?

Hi,

I forgot to post to this thread.

 

On page 157-158 of the book "Masamune - a Genius and his Lineage", there is an article about the ko-dachi. And it mentions a part of its history, which is something like this.

 

When the 5th shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi (徳川綱吉) went to Kii (紀伊) in the 4th month of 1697, he gave the sword to Tokuwaga Mitsusada (徳川光貞) of Kii Tokugawa family. The sword descends to the family since then.

[Adrian S]

Thank you for this information. I had assumed that the Japanese text offered more information. Any more information from the text would be very much appreciated. Thank you again. :D

 

Adrian S

[Nobody]

The other information from the text is not so special. The following translation does not include the first paragraph of the text, because it mentions only about general background of Masamune.

 

There is a Shumei (朱銘) by Honami Kojo (本阿弥光常) on the nakago of Masamune’s style. Although the length is a little less than 2 shaku (尺), it has a good sweep with a strong sori (反り). Its jimon (地文) is mokume (杢目) mixed with itame (板目), and it has thick ji-nie (地沸) and chikei (地景). Hamon is notare and choji-midare, and it looks dynamic with thick nie and strong kinsuji/inazuma. Boshi (鋩子) on its omote side looks like kaen (火炎).