A Nidai Tadatsuna Katana (粟田口近江守忠綱)

Standing tall at 77.3cm, this is an exceptional early-career work by *nidai* Awataguchi Ômi no Kami Tadatsuna of Settsu province – crafted before he adopted the art name *Ikkanshi* by which he would later become famous. The Awataguchi lineage claims descent from *Kunitsuna* of the celebrated Awataguchi school of Yamashiro province during the Kamakura period, a heritage the second generation wore with evident pride in his boldly chiselled eight-character signature. Shodai Tadatsuna was a fine smith in his own right, but it was his son who surpassed him in every respect, earning a Fujishiro rating of *Jojo-saku* – highly superior.

The *jigane* is a triumph of the forger’s art: tightly worked *ko-itame* that approaches the lustrous *nashi-ji hada* of the Hizen tradition, extending beautifully into the *shinogi-ji* where dark channels of *chikei* abound. The *suguha hamon* in rich *nie-deki* carries a wide *nioiguchi*, punctuated by lively *gunome-ashi*, rivers of *sunagashi*, and a bolt of *kinsuji* that crackles through the temper line like lightning. The *boshi* is *sugu ko-maru kaeri* with a hint of brushed *hakikake*. A thick *kasane* of over 7mm gives the blade a healthy, authoritative weightiness at 905g.

The *sayagaki* by Tanobe Michihiro (Tanzan-sensei), inscribed in 2018 in the year of the dog, describes the *hamon* as *odayakana* – calm and gentle – a word that perfectly captures the refined elegance of this powerful sword. The *ubu nakago* with its gorgeous aged patina and *sujikai-yasurime* file marks is entirely original and unaltered. Certified NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon, this is a genuinely impressive example of early Edo Osaka workmanship from one of Japan’s most celebrated smiths.