Bizen Masamitsu
JT0013
SOLD
An exceptional naginatanaoshi attributed to Bizen Masamitsu, designated as Juyo Token in 49th Juyo, Heisei 15 (2003). Hawatare: 2 shaku 4 sun 4 bu 2 rin (74 cm / 29.13"). Motohaba: 2.95 cm. Sori: 1.95 cm. Nakago nagasa: 19.8 cm. Nakago sori: 1.5 mm. The hamon is a kataochi-gunome, the slant shoulder gunome characteristic of Kanemitsu and his school, slightly midare. There is kinsuji and hataraki. Itame hada slight nagare, with masa in the shinogi ji. There is a wide gunome midare utsure. Niju gold foil habaki, shirasaya with sayagaki. Tanobe Sensei's sayagaki specifically notes that this blade is rated chin chin cho cho, chincho is especially precious and valuable, the doubling is for emphasis. When I asked Tanobe what this meant, he said, "if the house is on fire, this is what you must save". There are numerous juyo, one Juyo Bunkazai tachi, and one Juyo Bijitsuhen tanto. Masamitsu is rated with a double circle in Nihonto Meikan; valued at 8,000,000 yen in Toko Taikan by Tokuno; ranked Josaku in Fujishiro's Nihon Toko Jiten - Koto Hen; pictured in numerous texts on koto swords, two of which Yumei Koto Taikan and Nihonto Zuikan - Koto Hen are pictured below.
Masamitsu was the son of Bizen O-Kanemitsu, and was active around Enbun (1356 - 1361). Kanemitsu was one of the ten students of Masamune, Masamune Jutetsu. Of his students, Masamitsu, Tomomitsu, Yoshimitsu, Motomitsu, Yoshikage, Toshimitsu, Hidemitsu, and Motomitsu, all of whom worked in Bizen tradition with a Soshu influence, Masamitsu, Tomomitsu, Yoshimitsu are perhaps the most notable. $39,000
Strong Gunome Ko-midare Utsure & Hataraki
An Important Quality Notation: Chicho means especially precious. Chinchin Chocho is doubled for emphasis.
When I asked Tanobe Sensei what it meant, he replied, "If the house is on fire, this is what you save".
49th Vol. of Juyo Token Nado Zufu
Toko Taikan
Nihon Toko Jiten - Koto Hen
Nihonto Meikan
Nihonto Zuikan - Koto Hen
Yumei Koto Taikan