Ordering number: 23008
Katana in Shirasaya (NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Token)

Signature :Soushi Jiro tarou Naokatsu
荘司次郎太郎直勝
Kouka 5 Nen Haru Syogatsu.
弘化五年春正月

(We divide 4 sections for each sword as Saijyo saku, Jyojyo saku Jyo saku and regular saku)
This sword belongs to jyou jyou saku ranking.
habaki:gold foiled single habaki.
The blade is polished.
Blade length : 72.4cm or 28.50 inches.
Sori : 2.12cm or 0.83 inches.
Mekugi :1
Width at the hamachi : 3.29cm or 1.29 inches.
Width at the Kissaki : 2.2cm or 0.86 inches.
Kasane :0.87 cm or 0.34 inches.
The weight of the sword 855 grams
Era : Edo period around Koka era.
Shape : Wide and thick blade with deep Sori, longer Kissaki.
The Ububa remains.
Jigane : Ko Itame Hada well grained. The Jigane is beautiful.
Hamon : Nie Deki, Gunome Midare and Sakasa Choji with thick Nioikuchi. Boshi is Midarekomi style.

Special feature:Jiro Taro Naokatsu, born Kazusa Soriro, learned under Naotane, later became an adopted son, lived at Edo, served the Akimoto family at Tatebayashi in Joshu province, present Gunma pref. and passed away in 1859, aged 54. Naokatsu was the most skillful swordsmith next to Naotane or Masayoshi in the Suishinshi-Masahide clan. The workmanship of excellent Soshu-den, Bizen-den and Seki-den are very close to his master Naotane. Around the 2nd year of Tempo, he called as Jiro Naokatsu, and later engraved his signature as Jiro Taro Naokatsu, Soshi JIro Taro Fujiwara Naokatsu Zo, or Soshi Jiro Taro Naokatsu.

From Aoi Art: This blade is healthy, as it retains the Ububa.
It is a broad and solid piece. We highly recommend this work.
Historical Background: On July 21, 1856, Harris arrived in Shimoda to negotiate with the shogunate on the exchange rate of transit. July 23 (August 23) Ansei-Hachinohe Earthquake causes tsunami damage.

NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Token paper
Aoi Art estimation paper: whole Oshigata by Ayaka Tsuruta

Price:1,600,000 JPY-.

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