Katana: Higo Do-Tanuki Munehiro/Keio 2nd Year June
2017/01/02
Katana in Shirasaya, with Koshirae. (NBTHK Hozon paper)
Signature : Higo Do-Tanuki Munehiro
Keio 2nd Year June (Unclear at the bottom)
The blade was polished
Habaki : Gold single foiled habaki
Blade length : 69.6 cm or 27.40 inches.
Sori : 2.2 cm or 0.86 inches.
Mekugi : 1
Width at the hamachi : 3.16cm or 1.24 inches.
Width at the Kissaki : 2.2cm or 0.86 inches.
Kasane : 0.77cm or 0.30 inches.
Era : Late Edo period
Shape : It is wide and thick strong looking katana
with some sori. Kissaki is rather long. It is nice shape.
Jitetsu : Itame hada well grained with clear hada patterns.
There are some chikei works seen.
The hada is very clear like the water surface. Hadame is well seen.
Hamon : Nie structure gunome midare with some deep nioiguchi.
There are some active sunagashi and kinsuji works. Boushi is midare komi style.
Special feature : Originated from the Doutanuki of Kyushu Higo Kikuchi , the school has flourished
from the Enjyu school of late Muromachi period. The representing sword smith of that time would be
Kushu Higo Do tanuki Fujiwara Masakuni, Kyushu Higo doutanuki Kaminosuke, Kyushu Higo Doutanuki.
Most are made in wide and thick shape. Some are in nice Keicho shinto style shape as well.
Generally, there are some minor kizu on do tanuki however, that is because there prior purpose
was to make sharp blades and not blades as art. Tenran Kabuto wari( a exhibition that was held during
the Meiji period to do cutting test by Kabuto) is one theory that made well known the sharpness.
During Meiji 19th period, when the Meiji Emperor, a heavy collector of the Japanese sword,
has visited Fushimi Miyasada Ai Shinno mantion, he has cut the kabuto by Myochin by Doutanuki
which made this sword well know for its strength.
Higo Do Tanuki Mune Hiro is the late descendent of Higo no Kuni Dou Tanuki enjyu Kanji.
He has learned sword from Suishinshi Masahide and jigane is no different.
It is Itame hada will mixture of Masa hada. inie is well attached. The strong jigane
with chikei is unlike the shinshinto blade. It is fantastic jigane.
This sword is a masterpiece of Higo Dou Tanuki Masahiro.
The jigane is good and the sharpness could be told by the hamon.
We hope you could consider this fabulous sword.
Koshirae : Higo Koshirae
Tsuba :Round iron tsuba with dragon design nalyed with gold.
Fuchikashira : On iron plate dragon design is gold inlayed.
Saya : Dark brown ishimeji saya
Menuki : Dokko design
NBTHK Hozon paper
Aoi Art estimation paper : whole Oshigata.
Price (credit card) : JPY 850,000-.
