Shinto ō-wakizashi Tadatsuna

NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken

粟田口一竿子忠綱 

Awataguchi Ikkanshi Tadatsuna 

Settsu (Osaka), early Edo period, circa 1690-

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Nagasa [length]: 56.2 cm

Sori [curvature]: 1.1 cm

Motohaba [bottom width]: 3 cm

Sakihaba [top width]: 2 cm

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Sugata [configuration]: Shinogi-zukuri, iori-mune, chu-kissaki

Kitae [forging pattern]: Ko-mokume mixed to ko-itame

Hamon [tempering pattern]: Suguha

Boshi [point]: Komaru

Nakago [tang]: ubu, un mekugiana, ha agari kurijiri nakagojiri, sujikai yasurime

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Origami [paper]: The blade comes with a Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken (Sword Particularly Worth of Preserving) certificate issued by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai. 

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Koshirae [mounts]: The sword is accompanied by a good antique koshirae.

Ikkanshi Tadatsuna moved from Himeji to Osaka along with his father in the mid-17th century, also a skilled swordsman. Both received honorary titles - first Omi do daijo and later Omi no kami - and awards for the excellence of the blades they produced (wazamono and ryo-wazamono, respectively). The quality of the blades they produced soon led them to be among the most important and representative smiths of the Osaka school. The Tadatsuna style-referring by name to both generations-reflects the atmosphere that could be felt in Osaka in the 16th century, when it became one of the largest and most important cities in Japan, very rich and culturally vibrant: a rich and elegant hamon, with many activities, on a dense and lively jigane.

Tadatsuna father is sometimes referred to as Oya Tadatsuna to distinguish him from his son, who at some point began to sign Ikkanshi Tadatsuna thus naming the Ikkanshi school.

The length of this sword deserves a closer look at the laws in force during the Edo period. In fact, at that time only samurai could wear blades with lengths from 2 shaku (60.6 cm) and up, while in a city like Osaka, full of wealthy merchants, the best swords were probably made for chonin (common citizens) and not for samurai. This blade measures 1 shaku, 8 sun and 5 bu, which is short ess than the maximum size allowed for a chonin, a length that is nevertheless recovered by a slightly extended scabbard. According to Edo period classifications, swords that measured between 1.8 and 1.9.9 shaku were referred to as ō-wakizashi.

The positioning of the mekugiana, centered on the corner of the kanji “ta” is characteristic of Tadatsuna.