A Shôdai Masahiro Tantô (肥前国佐賀住正広)

Kawachi Masahiro was born Sadenjirô in 1607 and died at only 59 in 1665. The son of Yoshinobu – himself the adopted son of the great Shodai Tadayoshi – he began his career signing as Masanaga and even stood in for his ailing master, signing works as a dai-mei. Recognising his exceptional talent, Lord Nabeshima Katsushige directed him to change his name to Masahiro, and so the lineage of Shodai Masahiro was established. His blades are ranked jo-saku by Fujishiro and rated wazamono for cutting ability – a smith who excelled in both artistry and function.

Tantô crafted during the shintô period (1600-1780) are extraordinarily rare. As the formal daishô became the prescribed dress for the samurai class, demand for tanto declined sharply – making signed examples from this era genuine collector’s pieces. This blade carries all the hallmarks of classic Hizen work: a magnificently tight konuka-hada ground forged so finely it resembles rice bran, over which blazes a gorgeous gunome-chôji-midare hamon rich in kinsuji and sunagashi. The boshi curls back steeply in a characteristic kaeri katai, and the blade carries paired grooves – a wide bo-bi and a slender companion soe-bi. The ubu nakago retains its original sujikai-yasurime file marks and kengyô butt, signed in eight characters: Hizen no Kuni Saga Ju Masahiro.

The blade is housed in its original Late Edo period tanto koshirae – a cohesive wave-themed set in shibuichi with a spiral-carved naname-kizami saya lacquered in gloss black. The matching soroi kanagu fittings are signed by metalsmith Nagamasa and bear NTHK-NPO Kanteishô certificates of authenticity. The hilt is wrapped in kujira-maki – strips of baleen from the upper jaw of a whale – a luxury material denoting high samurai status during the late Edo period. Gold tiger menuki complete the ensemble, symbolising courage and protection against misfortune. The shirasaya carries a sayagaki by the distinguished scholar Dr. Satô Kanzan, written in Shôwa 44 (1969).