Kunisada Katana With Cutting Test NTHK Certificate

Kunisada Katana With Cutting Test NTHK Certificate

An excellent Katana with cutting test mounted in Shirasaya with Sayagaki by Kanzan Sensei

Kunisada,s real name was Okaya Gotō (岡谷五郎) and that he was active in Suruga province at the end of the Edo period. The  blade is actually an important reference as he stated how old he was when he made it. Now we can calculate his year of birth (according to the Japanese way) to as Bunka year twelve (文化, 1815).

 

駿河国住岡谷五郎源国定五十歳作之、肉試之囚死一撃断脇下如過空可以充用也
Suruga no Kuni-jū Okaya Gorō Minamoto Kunisada gojūsai kore o tsukuru, shūshi kore o nikushisu ichigeki wakige o tatsu kakū no gotoki yoroshii jūyō nari.
“Made by Okaya Gorō Minamoto Kunisada, resident of Suruga province. Tested on a criminal who had died in jail by cutting effortlessly with one stroke through the body at the height of the armpits, meaning the blade can be very well applied!”
元治元年八月日、林源三郎貞光手試
Genji gannen hachigatsu hi, Hayashi Gensaburō Sadamitsu no te ni tamesu.
“On a day of the eighth month Genji one (1864), and tested by Hayashi Gensaburō Sadamitsu.”

Kanzan Sensei Sayagaki

駿河國岡⾕五郎源國定 五⼗才作
正秀⾨⼈細川正義⼀派
郷⼟⼑好資料之⼀珍品也
刃⻑弐尺⼆⼆⼨有之
昭和甲寅年初冬吉⽇
寒⼭誌「花押」
Suruga no Kuni Okaya Gorō Minamoto Kunisada gojūsai saku
Masahide monjin Hosokawa Masayoshi ippa
Gyōdo-tō yoi shiryō no hitotsu chinpin nari
Hachō ni-shaku yon-sun kore ari
Shōwa kinoe-toradoshi shitō kichijitsu
Kanzan shirusu + kaō
Made by Okaya Gorō Minamoto Kunisada from Suruga province at the age of 50.
Smith was from the school of Masahide-student Hosokawa Masayoshi.
Valuable reference of a local sword [off the major sword productions sites] and a rare item.
Blade length ~ 72.7 cm
Written by Kanzan on a lucky day in October of the year of the tiger of this era (1974) +
monogram.