This is a fine wakizashi by one of the top smiths of the Shinshinto Era, Teiryusai Munehiro also known as Sokan. Sokan was the top student of one of the best smiths of the late Edo era, Koyama Munetsugu. For a more detailed description of the life and style of Sokan, please go to the following page, Sokan.
This wakizashi has a cutting edge of 38.2 cm or 15 1/16 inches. It is hira zukuri in shape with a moto haba of 2.9 cm or 1 1/8 inches. It has a shallow koshi sori giving it the powerful shape of a blade from the Nanbokucho Era of the 1300’s. It is signed Munehiro Kore (o) Tsukuru. It is dated as being made in the sixth year of Ansei or 1859.
This sword is beautiful and done in Bizen style with Sokan’s characteristic ko-mokume hada which shows certain areas where he mixed metals as was his habit. Inspection under good light shows an absolutely beautiful ko-mokume hada rich with ko-nie. The hamon is a ko-maru ko-choji that is bright and clear. Both of these characteristics (hada and hamon) are very typical of his later works after he blossomed and developed his own style independent of his teacher, Munetsugu. This blade has very nice utsuri which was one of his forging characteristics. The nakago is finished in Sokan’s typical methodical style. Each carved line of the yasurimei is painstakingly applied and perfect. The mei is signed in his beautiful Chinese block style of kanji (reishotai).
It comes with NBTHK Hozon papers that attest to its quality and the validity of the signature.
PRICE: $7,950.00
