A Yoshihira Katana (武州住藤原吉平)

Swordsmith Yoshihira was a proud member of the Edo Ishido School, apprenticed under the notable smith Mitsuhira. The Ishido School traces its heritage to the Sekido Temple in Omi province, founded around the Kanei period (1624), and claims descent from the great Bizen Ichimonji School – a lineage that shows directly in the blade’s striking choji midare hamon. Smiths of the school spread across Japan; those who went to Edo, modern-day Tokyo, included the famed Ishido Musashi Korekazu, and Yoshihira followed in that tradition.

This katana carries a notably shallow curvature of just 0.7cm, a construction favoured in the Shintô period for its cutting efficiency. The nakago has been shortened (suriage) to suit a previous owner’s stature – a mark of genuine use and history. It is a fighting sword in the truest sense, solid and direct. NBTHK Hozon papers confirm the authenticity of the signature.

The Edo period koshirae is a class act. Imperial chrysanthemums line the shakudo and gold fuchi, and the iron tsuba carries the classic seigaiha wave pattern – a motif representing the endless, unchanging rhythm of the sea, believed to bring enduring good fortune. The full set of fittings is intact and the sword presents beautifully.