Yasuhide/Tomohide Tanto (fss-813)
Yasuhide/Tomohide Tanto (fss-813) New Item Available Sold On Hold Special Sale Item description: A beautiful rare father and son collaboration this is a shin shinto tanto in shirasaya. The overall condition is very good. This blade is more than likely from the 1800’s and the work on it is clearly visible. The hamon is in chu-suguha style and looks attractive. The hada is itame and clear. The blade is signed, dated, and papered. This tanto sports horimono on both sides. There is a ” SO NO KURIKARA ” which is a dragon winding around a ken. this is a highly simplified dragon which winds around a sword and is very rich and well cut. This Ken or Sword is with “sankozuka” which is a vajra thunderbolt hilt. The ken/sword is also an alternative of the Buddhist deity Fudo Myoo. The other side has gomma-hashi which are chopsticks that are used on alters of Shinto shrines. There is also a Bonji of “Mato Kwannon” who is the horse-head Buddha. Bonji inscriptions are invocations to this spirit to help the wielder of this sword. Nice joint work between father and son. I have the two listed as (portrait attached also): YASUHIDE (安英), Bunka (文化, 1804-1818), Musashi – “Buyō ni oite Ichinoseki-shi Takehiro Yasuhide” (於武陽一関士武広安英), “Tōbu ni oite Ōshū Ichinoseki-shi Takehiro Yasuhide” (於東武奥州一之関士武広安英), “Tōbu ni oite Ōshū Takehiro” (於東武奥州武広), “Takehiro Fujiwara Yasuhide tsukuru” (武広藤原安英造), real name Takehiro Yo´emon (武広与右衛門), student of Suishinshi Masahide (水心子正秀), he workd for Ōshū´s Ichinoseki fief (一関藩) which was ruled by the Tamura family (田村), he died on the 25th day of the second month Tenpō 14 (天保,...
ISHIDO DEN (fss-812)
ISHIDO DEN (fss-812) New Item Available Sold On Hold Special Sale Item description: When first viewing this blade you can see a resemblance of an Ichimonji blade. Fine utsuri covers the blade as well as Ji-nie. The chiji midare is very active and it appears as flames dancing along the blade. There is tobyaki and yubashiri causing a hitatsura like hamon. The hada is a finely worked itame. An exquisite blade and one that never tires of viewing. The koshirae is a high gloss black lacquer with a gloss black lacquered Same(rayskin). The tsuka-ito and sageo are a matching gold in color. the tsuba is of a scenic nature. The menuki are of shakudo and gold and the fuchi/kashira are of a geometric design. A beautiful gilded 2-piece habaki was made for this sword to create a great package and wonderful piece. The stub is also signed. The Ishido Kei had its foundations in Omi Province. Omi Province was the home of many well-known smiths from the late Kamakura period into the Nanbokucho period. Some of the more famous smiths were Takagi Sadamune (高木貞宗) and Kanro Toshinaga. They had many descendants but very few of their works survived so that by the time the Tokugawa period began, there were not many of these descendants left in this province. Around the Meio Era (1492), many of the Osafune-kaji from Bizen came to Omi and made swords thus breathing new life into this area. Among these was Sukenaga (助長) who moved to this area and is said to have founded the Ishido Kei. During the early years of the Edo period...
SHITAHARA CHIKASHIGE DEN (fss-811)
SHITAHARA CHIKASHIGE DEN (fss-811) New Item Available Sold On Hold Special Sale Item description: This sword has been attributed to the Shitahara school by the NTHK shinsa. There are many details which point this blade to this school, including the unique jihada which has a circular swirling pattern and is known as uzumaki-hada or shitahara hada. The dark jigane is also found in Shitahara blades and is a trait of this school. The Shitahara school is a well regarded school with great smiths. A rare longish Hirazukiri blade almost Katana in length this blade sports an attractive Bohi on both sides. Technically an O-Wakazashi this blade feels and looks like a katana. It is very light and well balance. The hamon is full of hataraki such as sunagashi, kinsugi and more.The hamon is an O-gunome based in Notare. The swirling mokume or Uzumaki-hada is a sight to see and appreciate. The tang is text book Shitahara and a solid kantei point. A beautiful and unique rare blade by the founders of this school. The blade is in shirasaya and there is a full set of high ranking military mounts that the blade was originally found in. The tsuka is adorned with a family mon of bamboo theme. History on the Shitahara school: Founded around the Eisho (1504) and Kyoroku (1528) eras in the later Muromachi period, a swordsmith named Tajima (no) Kami Chikashige from the Yamamoto clan, is credited with the foundation of the Shitahara school in what is now the Hajioji district of Metropolitan Tokyo. It is thought that he was employed by Oishi Sadahisa, a high ranking retainer of the Yamaouchi....
Echizen Kaneshige (fss-807)
Echizen Kaneshige (fss-807) New Item Available Sold On Hold Special Sale Item description: Echizen Kaneshige was a member of the Echizen Seki school. He was one of many swordsmiths who moved to Echizen province from Seki in Mino province around the middle of the 17th century. They were most active during the years 1658 through 1680. They worked in what we call the Shinto tokuden tradition that was fashionable at the time, as well as their original Mino tradition. Besides Kaneshige, the following smiths are classified as being part of the Echizen Seki school.Shigetaka,Kanenaka,Kanetane,Kanenori, Kanenori, Kanemasa, Kanetoshi, Kanetaka, Hirotaka, Yoshitane, and Kanenori. This is a very nice well forged tanto in the Echizen style. It is ubu with one mekugi-ana. the sword is in a very nice older polish with some slight staining. The hamon is gunome midare with a notarish feel. The hada is an itame mokume blend with lots of chikei and ji-nie abounds. The boshi is maru with a longish turnback.A fine example of an Echizen smith at the pinnacle of his work. During the Momoyama period, it was Toyotomi Hideyoshi who sent Tokugawa Ieyasu’s son Hidetada, to govern Echizen province. It is sometimes seen as a banishment rather than any kind of reward, the main object of which was to dilute or fragment the ever-growing power and influence of the Tokugawa.However, it was this branch of the family, called the Matsudaira, which attracted many swordsmiths and tsuba makers. As the country settled down after the Senogoku-jidai and swordsmiths sought patronage, many moved to the great martial provinces. Principally, swordsmiths going to Echizen were from Seki...About Moses Becerra
With over 30 years of experience and dedication to this art you can count on his integrity, professionalism, passion and honesty to work with new and old clients every day.