A Tsunatoshi Katana (米澤士長運齋綱俊造之)

First-generation master swordsmith Chôunsai Tsunatoshi was born Katô Hachirô, a student of grandmaster Suishinshi Masahide – just as his father Katô Kunihide had been before him. Tsunatoshi moved to Edo during the Bunsei era (1818-1830) where he served in the residence of the Uesugi family, the daimyô of Yonezawa domain, carrying the honorary title Chôunsai. He is ranked Jo-saku by Fujishiro – a superior swordsmith – and this katana is a fine testament to why.

This remarkable and rare katana was commissioned by samurai Mimura Tadashi, a retainer of the Kaizu fief, which was controlled by the Takasu-Matsudaira branch of the ruling Tokugawa family. The ubu-nakago carries a lengthy inscription recording the commission in full: crafted by Chôunsai Tsunatoshi, retained by the Yonezawa fief, completed in February 1843 – the Year of the Hare. On the reverse, Mimura Tadashi had the characters Hôkoku no Tanshin boldly chiselled as a declaration of his loyalty and patriotism for the Tokugawa family. A sword with a story.

The blade itself is wide and formidable, weighing nearly one kilogram with a thick kasane (spine) – densely forged in nioi-deki with a beautifully active gunome-choji-midare hamon punctuated by tobiyaki, kinsuji, and sunagashi. A long bo-higroove with maru-dome runs the length of the blade, meeting the yokote at the tip. The boshi is a flowing hakikake midare-komi. Tsunatoshi forged blades so tightly packed that the surface grain approaches the mirror-like finish known as muji-hada – this example is no exception. The sword comes fitted in an impressive Edo uchigatana-koshirae lacquered in black with a wrinkled leather-like textured saya, and is balanced with an imposing mokko-gata iron tsuba signed by Tanba province metalsmith Sadamasa.