Magnificent Katana by "Mukansa" Yoshiwara Kuniie

[Keichodo]

Katana by "Mukansa" Yoshiwara Kuniie

Blade is signed and dated:

(表)吉原荘二恒家作之 Yoshiwara Soji Tsuneie kore o tsukuru

(裏)昭和辛亥歳正月(Showa kanoto-ii shogatsu) New Year’s 1971

Blade Description

Hacho (Edge length) 71.2 cm.
Sori (Curvature) 2 cm.
Moto-haba (depth at ha-machi) 3.4 cm.

Saki-haba (depth at kissaki) 3.05 cm.
Motokasane (thickness) 0.72 cm.

Katana: Shinogi-zukuri, iorimune, mihaba futoku

The temper pattern (hamon) is gunome midare, rich in ji-nie and kinsuji while the hada is koitame. The boshi in the large kissaki is midarekomi. This robust blade is a visually exciting sword to study.

Weight: blade only 844 gram.

Engraving: "Bo-hi" kaki-nagashi on both sides

Gold foil double Habaki / Shirasaya

Authentic Japanese Sword Certificate

Price 1,400,000 JPY

 

Sword smith YOSHIHARA Kuniie (YOSHIHARA Sôji) was born in February of Shôwa 20 (1945). His grandfather was YOSHIHARA Kuniie and his father was YOSHIHARA Masahiro. Alongside his brother (Yoshindo), Sôji learned sword forging under his grandfather Kuniie.

 

This sword is one of Yoshiwara Kuniie’s excellent works emulating a blade by the legendary Kiyomaro. With a well-structured hamon, vivid jigane, and o-kissaki it is a masterpiece. The blade is in very good full polish and great condition overall. Exhibiting many attractive features such as: a gunome midare hamon with ashi, a rich hada in ko-itame, and lots of ji-nie and kinsuji.

 

Sword smith Yoshihara Kuniie (Shoji) was recognized as Mukansa level at 37 years of age in Shôwa 57 (1982) and prior to that he received many awards. In 2008, he was designated an Important Living Cultural Property of Tokyo. Some of his other achievements were:

-1966 youngest ever recipient of the Award for Effort

-1971 youngest ever recipient of the Mainichi Newspaper Award

-2003 appeared in the movie The Last Samurai in the role of a sword smith.

Without any doubt, Shoji Yoshihara is considered one of the top contemporary sword smiths in Japan. He was a likely candidate to become a Living National Treasure (Ningen Kokuho) sword smith, but sadly he passed away in 2023. I had the great pleasure of knowing him quite well as we practiced Tenshinsho Jigenryu Kenjitsu together for many years after I joined the dojo in 1986 where he practiced and taught as a senior student.

[Keichodo]

Item has sold!

[Brian]

Somewhere out there, there is a very, very lucky owner.

[w.y.chan]

Shoji Yoshihara is already receiving Tokubetsu Hozon papers. Ono Yoshimitsu studied under the Yoshihara brothers, I read somewhere mostly taught by Shoji I see similarity in their Juka Choji.

 

[Sutraken]

Hello gents, 

 

after getting Robert Hughes‘ permission to reopen his original listing, I would like to offer you this fantastic Yoshihara Kuniie katana for sale, which I bought five months ago from him. I want to sell it, because I plan to purchase another katana in the near future. 

 

This katana stays currently in Germany and can be shipped internationally with DHL. 

 

My asking price is 8200€ obo. 

 

Payment should be made with paypal or bankwire transaction. 

 

All the best 

[Sutraken]

Here I attach a picture of the shirasaya this great Yoshihara Kuniie katana comes in.

 

Kind regards 

 

[Volker62]

fantastic!!!

[Sutraken]

I reduce the asking price to 7500€ obo. 

 

 

[Sutraken]

[Sutraken]

[Sutraken]

[Sutraken]

Item has been sold. Thank you very much.

[EmmaNZ]

I'm sad to have missed this.  If the new owner decides for any reason they don't want to keep this, I'd love to make them an offer on it.