Important Contemporary Ken: jointly signed (Gassaku) by brothers Amada Akitsugu (Seichi) and Amada Kanesada (Sadao)

Keichodo · January 6, 2024

-Amada Akitsugu was designated a Living National Treasure in 1997

Nagasa: 23.4 cm.

Sori: no curvature

Motohaba: 2.07 cm.

Motokasane: 0.67

Mekugi ana : one

Shape: ryo (both sides) high shinogi zukuri.

Kitae: Ko-itame hada with slight nagare hada. Overall very fine, tight, and beautiful jitetsu. Very fine ji nie. Jigane is very fine and dense. Nie expressed as ji nie mijin ni atsuku tsuku. Jitetsu is an excellent grade.

Hamon: very tight suguha with yo along the edge and small ashi, deep nioi

Boshi: suguha cho yaki-tsumeru

Nakago: ubu, narrow ken gata, with Yasuri suji chigai (filed from the left side)

Habaki: copper with gold foil

Price: yen 2,000,000

Shirasaya and presentation box

Comment:

Ningen Kokuho, Amada Seichi (Akitsugu), and his younger brother, Amada Sadao (Kanesada), jointly produced this ken to commemorate the national treasure blade by Awataguchi Toshiro Yoshimitsu. Within the box, is calligraphy by the Amada brothers. In total, this is a masterpiece omamori ken. Amada Akitsugu was born in Showa 2 (1927) in Honda village, in Kita-Kanbara, Niigata Prefecture which is now part of Shibata City. When he was nine years old, his father Amada Sadakichi died. In Showa 15 (1940), Akitsugu moved to Tokyo to join the Nihon Tanren Denshusho. He was an apprentice under Kurihara Hikosaburo (Akihide). At the time, one of his senior students was Miyairi Akihira (Yukihira). From around Showa 30 (1955), Akitsugu’s talents began to shine. During Shinsakuto exhibitions he received awards every year. However, when he became thirty he suffered from sickness and it took him eight years to recover. In Tsukioka, near an onsen area, he set up his home and forge which he named Hougetsusan Tantojo. He suffered hardships in life but persevered through all his difficulties. With his work, he showed exceptional progress and he was recognized as Mukansa in Showa 47 (1972). Then in Showa 52 (1977), Showa 60 (1985), and Heisei 8 (1996) he received the Masamune Sho award. For each of these awards, he submitted different school works: Yamashiro Den, Soshu Den, and Bizen Den. He is the only sword smith to ever receive this award for swords representing three different traditions. In Heisei 9 (1997) he was recognized as Ningen Kokuho, a living national treasure. He died in Heisei 25 (2013) at 85 years of age.

Akitsugu’s younger brother, Kanesada’s real name was Amada Sadao, born in Showa 8 (1933). He was six years younger than Akitsugu. The brothers worked together at Hougetsusan Tantojo. He greatly assisted his older brother. After his brother’s death, Kanesada opened a memorial hall and gave lectures to visitors. Akitsugu’s great success is in part due to the role of his younger brother, Kanesada.

This ken was made in Heisei 3 (1991), when Akitsugu was 64 years old and Kanesada was 58 years old. With the joint signature for a commemorative piece, it is a rare work.

The ken shape first appeared in the Heian period but was not commonly carried by samurai. Buddhist monks carried ken as talisman for spiritual protection. This particular ken, as a commemorative blade, is a perfect reproduction of the national treasure blade by Awataguchi Toshiro Yoshimitsu which implies Akitsugu reached a level high level with his skill. This is an important life accomplishment and was only possible through Akitsugu’s individual research in creating appropriate tamahagane. He acquired the raw materials (sand/iron) from Oku-Izumo in Shimane Prefecture and mastered the correct temperature.

After World War II, the Amada brothers made a great effort in forging swords and research. They supported each other through their hardships. This piece recognizes the important relationship between these two brothers. The box calligraphy (hakogaki) establishes the cooperation between these two champions of contemporary sword smithing. This is an important modern era sword.

In 1983, with well-known Niigata Prefecture sword polisher Hashimoto Masanao, I visited Amada-san at his home forge. I was living in Niigata at the time and Hashimoto Masanao and his brother Hashimoto Kenyo were my instructors of Musoshinden Ryu Iaido. Due to this important connection, I was invited to accompany them on a visit to meet Amada-san and spend the day at his forge. After sharing tea, Amada-san got up to head to the lavatory to relieve himself. He ran his hand down the front of his loose fitting slacks and realized his zipper was on the backside. He had inadvertently put his trousers on backward. This gave a moment of great levity and all of us howled in laughter. Without doubt, Amada-san’s preoccupation with his tasks took priority over less trivial matters such as appearance and fashion… He was a charming individual and though slight of build, he was capable of forging the most amazing swords.