MUTSU DAIJO MIYOSHI NAGA MICHI (SHODAI) - Lot 13

MUTSU DAIJO MIYOSHI NAGA MICHI (SHODAI) SHINTO (Kanbun jidai 1661) NAGASA : Edge length 66.1 cm Shinogi zukuri / Funbari, slight inflection of the mune towards the tip Moto Haba: Thickness at mune machi, 6.8 mm Saki Haba: Thickness at yokote 5.2 mm Curve: Sori: 0.6 mm, weight: 800 g Hardening: Hamon: Suguha / ko shoji, nioi guchi very bright Hada: Forging pattern: Ko itame very tight, clearly visible Nakago: kiri yasuri, Suriagé at bottom of last Kanji partly legible Mekugi: 2 Habaki: Covered with solid shakudo leaf Tsuba: Tosho marugata tsuba 8.3 cm with negative openwork motif of the WAKIZAKA clan mon, may relate to the Umetada workshop, EDO period Fuchi/kashira: iron with shishi and dragonfly motif, EDO period Menuki: with boar in bamboo motif (shakudo/gold), EDO period Tsuka: Black silk braid on white same Saya: Black lacquered ringed, two-tone handmade Sageo Very fine repolished blade, beautifully crafted koshirae NAGA MICHI (Shodai): Founder of the MIYOSHI school (17° ), NAGA MICHI was active from the Manji period to Empo 1658/1673. He went to EDO to study sword-edging with YAMANO KANJURO HISA HIDE. He is one of 12 blacksmiths of the Shinto period to have been awarded the highest distinction SAIJO Ô WAZAMONO by ASAEMON YAMADA, official executor of the Shogun. The sabers of Shodai Naga Michi have the rank of "Jo Jo Saku ranking", and he received the title of DAIJO at the age of 29 in 1659. This sword was made in the last 26 years of his life. For the resemblance of his jigane to that of the famous KOTETSU, he was nicknamed the KOTETSU of AIZU, his home town. Some books claim that he was a disciple of TSUDA SUKEHIRO, from whom he borrowed the Oroshigane forging technique that explains the extreme hardness of his steels. At least three warriors from the AKO fiefdom (the 47 ronins, Shushingura) owned a blade by AIZU MICHI NAGA, his first signature before the DAIJO title. ISAMI KONDO, leader of the Shinsengumi (the shogunal militia in Kyoto during the Bakumatsu period) owned a NAGA MICHI (Shodai) blade. The 3 samurai of the AKO clan who took part in the revenge of their Daimyo ASANO NAGANORI (AKO ROSHI) and who had a NAGA MICHI blade on the day of 14/12/1702; ONODERA JYUNAI HIDEKAZU age 61 SUGANOYA HANOJYO MASATOSHI 44 years old OKANO KIN UEMON KANEHIDE 24 years old Bibliography: Arami meizukushi 1721, Fujishiro Nihon toko jiten, kusanaga no ya oshigata by Kishimoto Kan no Suke, Nihonto meikan, Shinto Taikan by limura Kasho, Hawley shinto Benji Oshigata, Nihonto Kantei Hikkei, Fuku Naga.