Features:

A rare specimen, a stunning and powerful sword from the Nanboku-cho period. The blade is made by the famous swordsmith Etchu Tametsugu, ca. 1360’s, a student of Norishige from the Masamune Juttetsu. Tametsugu was well-known as furthering the Soshu tradition into the late Nanboku-cho period. He came from the foremost lineage; his teacher was Norishige, who in turn was a pupil of the superlative Soshu swordsmith, Masamune. Tametsugu emulated Norishige’s style, but with his own twist, a coarse and wild jigane in the spirit of matsukawa hada.

This particular blade is exemplary: powerful shape, ebullient jigane, classic hamon. For shape, the blade has a stout and strong sugata with wide mihaba and large Nanboku-cho style o-kissaki. Two narrow soe-hi, running the length of the blade through the nakago, put a finer point on how large and heavy this sword was when made. For jigane, the blade presents a raw and unrefined blend of mokume pools interspersed with a coarse running masame. The jigane emparts a wild spirit, highlighted be copious dark chikei. For hamon, the blade emphasizes the classic Soshu-den notare with gunome formations and turbulent hataraki. Sunagashi abound with kinsuji and a deep nioi guchi. The boshi is thick and punctuated by streaking kaen.

A very rare, and desirable Soshu-den Ju-To.