A Kashû Kiyomitsu Katana (清光)

Born in Kaga province with the personal name Chôzaemon, later changed to Jirôkurô, the swordsmith Kiyomitsu worked during the Jôô era (circa 1652-1655). He signed his blades with the full form Kashû-jû Harima no Daijô Fujiwara Kiyomitsu, or simply Kiyomitsu as we find on this katana. The word Kashû is an alternative reading of Kaga, a province renowned as one of the wealthiest domains in Edo-period Japan.

Despite being a Shintô-period blade, this katana carries a distinctly older soul. The clear suguha hamon in ko-nie deki, running over a standing itame and nagare-hada with lively chikei, gives the steel a warmth more reminiscent of Kotô workmanship. The Yamato-esque kuichigaiba – where the nioguchi overlaps for a noticeable distance along the temper line – is a refined and unusual feature that elevates this blade well above the ordinary. The characteristic Kashû-nakago-jiri (iriyama-gata), with its short flat area dropping into an acute angle, marks the tang as proudly from Kaga.

The sword is accompanied by a full set of uchigatana-koshirae from the Late Edo period (1780-1867), lacquered black in the kuro-ishime-ji-nuri style with a stone-surface texture suggesting natural elements. The fittings carry a unified nature theme: the iron tsuba, attributed to the Hôan school and certified by NTHK-NPO, is pierced with ume (plum blossom) motifs and finished with amida-yasuri file marks radiating from the centre. The fuchi depicts floating sakura petals along the Yoshino river, while the kashira bears a gold-highlighted kiji (peacock) among peonies – a symbol of compassion associated with the deity Kannon. The menuki are rendered as omoto (Rohdea japonica) plants, wrapped over with black silk.