Daido Wakizashi
KK0521
A wakizashi signed Musashi no Kami Daido. Shinogizukure, iroi mune, chu kissaki, slight sakizori. Hawatare: 1 shaku 4 sun 1 bu (42.727 cm /16.82"). Motohaba: 2.897 cm. Sakihaba: 2.11 cm. Kasane: 7.97 mm. Togari gunome midare in konie deki. Extensive sunagashi, kinsuji, nado. Itame hada with jinie. There is a tate ware at the top of the hamon, as shown below.
This is the first generation, working in late koto, this piece is a product of the Bunroku period (1592 - 1596). NTHK kanteisho. Rated with a double circle in Nihonto Meikan, rated Josaku in Nihon Toko Jiten - Shinto-Hen, and valued at 3,500,000 yen in Toko Taikan by Tokuno.
Kanemichi was the founder of the Mishina school, which had its roots in Sue Seki of Mino. There are two juyo swords dated Temmon 16 (1547) and Eiroku 4 (1562). His four sons, Iga no Kami Kinmichi, Rai Kinmichi, Tamba no Kami Yoshimichi, Etchu no Kami Masatoshi moved to Kyoto. In Tensho 2 (1574) Kanemichi received the title, Mutsu no Kami. In Eiroku 12, (1569) he was requested to make a sword for the emperor, Ogimachi and in appreciation, was granted the use of the character Dai or O, and started signing O-Kanemichi. Later he dropped the Kane kanji, and became Omichi, or Daido.
He worked in the Mino tradition, and emulated the works of Shizu Saburo Kaneuji. He was the personal sword smith to Oda Nobunaga, one of the three unifiers of Japan, the other two being Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Iyeyasu. He later moved to Kyoto, where with his sons, became known as Kyoto Gokaji. It seems probable that the Mishina group was favored by the Tokugawa, and they were given this title, because Umetada Myoju's and Horikawa Kunihiro's loyalties had been with the Toyotomi.
As often happens, Fujishiro's dating disagrees with the bulk of reference materials. Daido spanned the koto and shinto periods, though Fujishiro dates him as a Keicho (1596-16150) smith. $2,250
Genealogy written in 1718 by the third generation Mishina Kanemichi to his student Sendai Katsumichi.
Nihon Toko Jiten - Shinto-Hen
Earlier signature as Kanemichi Mature Daaido Ssgnature
Shinto Taikan
Toko Taikan gives a history of Kanemichi up through taking the name Daido