Tamashigiri , cutting test

[Tengu1957]

Koto Katana with Edo period Tameshigiri 

Bizen school O Suriage Katana 
27.75 inches or 70.5 cm in typical Bizen school temper circa 1550. NBTHK Hozon 
Edo period Koshirae with matching copper Koshirae and sea cucumber style Tsuba 
In gold it states : 
Enpo 4 of Heishin 11th month 16th day
November 16 , 1676
Tomita Yaichizaemon Jo Shigetsuna 
Ni Do Ochi , cut two bodies in half 

Shigetsuna is listed as a known tester in Marcus Sesko's book "Tameshigiri" . It's not common to use Koto blades for test cutting. 

Many thanks to Nick Ricupero at Nihontoart.com for selling this to me

[Tengu1957]

Please see close up of Nakago

[Bruce Pennington]

Very nice!  Outside of Markus' example, this is the first Shigetsuna I've seen 'in the wild'!  The kanji are written much more clearly than the Sesko example.  There is a small veriation in the Kao.  If both mei are legit, then it means he modified his kao over time.  I've seen this done by a couple other cutters, but not common.

 

Sesko's dated 1681 - yours 1676

[SteveM]

Another one from 1681. (Not the Sesko one).

https://www.tsurugin...om/items/a00220.html

Sword itself is by Tsuguhira, and is Jūyō.

 

 

 

 

[Tokugawa Gord]

Congratulations Steve on your 2 body test cut katana - looks awesome. 

[Bruce Pennington]

On 1/21/2024 at 10:24 AM, SteveM said:

Another one from 1681. (Not the Sesko one).

https://www.tsurugin...om/items/a00220.html

Sword itself is by Tsuguhira, and is Jūyō.

 

 

 

 

This one is very much like the OP sword mei.  Almost makes the one in Sesko look gimei! Ha!

 

[SteveM]

12 hours ago, Tokugawa Gord said:

Congratulations Steve on your 2 body test cut katana

 

The two-body sword is Gary's. 

I posted a three-body sword that is, sadly, not mine. Just one that I found posted to a Japanese seller's site. Thought it might be interesting for Bruce. 

 

@Bruce Pennington Yes I found that kao also interesting. Same kao design as the OP's, but the date is closer to the one Markus posted. So I guess the smith really revised his kao sometime that year (1681).

[Bruce Pennington]

9 hours ago, SteveM said:

I guess the smith really revised his kao

The more I look at the Sesko blade's mei, I'm wondering if it weren't done by another hand.  What's it called? Nakarishi mei?

 

BTW, I've added a photo of this actual kakihan to the upcoming March revision to the Stamps Doc.  Thanks guys!

[SteveM]

On 1/20/2024 at 1:24 PM, Tengu1957 said:

Ni Do Ochi , cut two bodies in half 

 

Slight correction: futatsu-dō otosu