A Yasuhiro Katana (備中守橘康広)

Bitchû no Kami Tachibana Yasuhiro was born Tomita Gorôzaemon in Ômi province, the second son of Tosa Shôgen Tameyasu. He relocated to Ôsaka and founded the Ôsaka-Ishidô school with a singular ambition: to faithfully recreate the celebrated blades of the ancient Ichimonji school of Bizen. He succeeded brilliantly. Fujishiro ranked him chûjô-saku, though his finest work is regarded by many as closer to jô-saku quality. He is also rated wazamono for the keenness of his cutting edge.

This katana was forged to a practical, quick-handling length during the early Edo period, circa the Kanbun era (1661-1673). The steel carries a beautifully worked itame-hada with a light midare-utsuri – that misty, ghostly reflection above the hamon – that is the unmistakable signature of Bizen tradition. The gunome-chôji midare hamon is precisely what Yasuhiro set out to achieve: a rich, energetic pattern filled with clustered chôji and long reaching ashi, captivating under any light.

The ubu nakago bears the full six-character signature and the prestigious kiku-mon – the chrysanthemum crest, emblem of the sun and immortality – stamped above the mei. The tang is finished in sujikai-yasurime (diagonal file marks) and terminates in a clean kengyo (sword-shaped) point. The sword is currently in shirasaya with a gold-wrapped habakiand presents a superb opportunity for a new caretaker to commission a custom koshirae.