(Hori) Sadamitsu (fss-553)
Mei: Joshu
Ju Sadamitsu ou Cho (Choshu) han sa kiyohide ko tsukuro no
tametoki
bunkyu (1863) summer day
ko yo mo kin ei tai no mei mon kyo shi go jo kin
(Basic translation is that this sword was made for a choshu member as a special order by sadamitsu in 1863 on a summer day.)
Date: 1863
Nagasa : 31 3/4 "
Sori: 15.0mm
Width at the ha-machi: 35.5mm
Width at the yokote: 24.3mm
Thickness at the mune-machi: 9.4mm
Construction: shinogi zukuri
Mune: iori
Nakago: ubu
Kitae: itame
Hamon: suguba
Boshi: maru
Condition: excellent fresh polish
When Commodore Perry arrived in Japan to open the country to Western trade in 1853, he found a medieval amalgam of sword-bearing samurai, castle towns, Confucian academies, peasant villages, rice paddies, upstart merchants, bath houses, and Kabuki. Fifteen years later, Japan was on its way to becoming the only non-Western nation in the nineteenth century with a modern centralized bureaucratic state and industrial economy. This book is a study of the Meiji Restoration that changed the face of Japan. Prominent historian Albert M. Craig tells its story through that of the domain of Choshu�whose role in the formation of modern Japan was not unlike that of Prussia in Germany�during the fifteen crucial years between 1853 and 1868. Whereas previous studies have stressed the role of discontented lower samurai and frustrated rich merchants and peasants in this transition, claiming that they provided the motive power behind the political movements of the Restoration period, this work sharply challenges these earlier interpretations. Craig instead emphasizes the vitality of traditional values in Japan's early reaction to the West and foregrounds the critical contribution of the old society to the formation of the new Meiji state. Choshu in the Meiji Restoration is a seminal work for scholars and students of Japanese history.
This sword is an exceptional part of Japanese history. The quality and care that went into making this special ordered sword is important to note. The hamon has rich nie and nio mix with many hataraki/activity within. The hada is tightly forged and is bold looking. To make such a long sword like this requires a high skill level from the smith in order to avoid flaws in the forging of this daito. The mounts are original and also powerful looking. The saya was restored to its original satsuma style color. The tsukamaki has been also restored and is sound. The fuchi and kashira are very large and out of the norm. They are cooper and the design of the tiger was cut even to the inside of the fuchi. The set is also signed. The menuki are also extreamly large dragons in copper and of good quality. It has two sets of seppa, one in copper to match the copper fittings and the other in silver to match the silver inlay in the tsuba. Also note that the tsuba is very large and not of the normal size. Swords like this were actually very desirable and carried during this time period. This very large style of swords compares with the swords made during the Nambokucho era ( 1333-1391). This sword comes with papers from the NBTHK and also has a fine sayagaki done by Tanobe Sensei in Japan. No expense was spared on this sword, from the making of it to the restoration of it. Not many swords like this are regularly found on the open market, many are in museums and high end collections.
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Details
KOSHIRAI
PAPERS
NBTHK HOZON KAI
Hori Sadamitsu
~SOLD~
Order number for this item is : fss-553
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