{"product_id":"antique-japanese-katana-sword-signed-yoshimori","title":"Antique Japanese Katana Sword signed Enomoto Tatsuyoshi","description":"\u003csection class=\"product\"\u003e\u003cheader\u003e\u003c\/header\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"specs\"\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignature (Mei):\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cspan lang=\"ja\"\u003e榎本伊豆住竜義作\u003c\/span\u003e Enomoto, Izu-jū Tatsuyoshi saku — \"Made by Tatsuyoshi Enomoto, residing in Izu\"\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDate (Nenki):\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cspan lang=\"ja\"\u003e平成十五年十二月吉日\u003c\/span\u003e — Heisei 15, December, auspicious day (December 2003)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSwordsmith:\u003c\/strong\u003e Enomoto Tatsuyoshi (榎本竜義) — highly regarded and sought-after \u003cem\u003egendaitō\u003c\/em\u003e smith; specialist in \u003cem\u003eō-hada\u003c\/em\u003e steel\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eClassification:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eGendaitō\u003c\/em\u003e (modern sword) — highest rank\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMounting:\u003c\/strong\u003e Higo Kuyō-mon koshirae — gold \u003cem\u003ehirazogan\u003c\/em\u003e karakusa iron tsuba with sukashi; matching gold inlay fuchi; Higo Kuyō-mon (\u003cem\u003e九曜紋\u003c\/em\u003e) menuki; copper habaki; black lacquer saya with cream-gold sageo\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBlade Length (Nagasa):\u003c\/strong\u003e 71.8 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurvature (Sori):\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.6 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMekugi-ana:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShape:\u003c\/strong\u003e Shinogi-zukuri, ō-kissaki — broad, imposing proportions\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMotohaba:\u003c\/strong\u003e 32.2 mm \/ \u003cstrong\u003eSakihaba:\u003c\/strong\u003e 23.9 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMotokasane:\u003c\/strong\u003e 6.9 mm \/ \u003cstrong\u003eSakikasane:\u003c\/strong\u003e 4.3 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBlade Weight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 605 g \/ \u003cstrong\u003eTotal koshirae length:\u003c\/strong\u003e 104.5 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eJihada:\u003c\/strong\u003e Intentional \u003cem\u003eō-hada\u003c\/em\u003e (large wood-grain) — a distinctive artistic speciality of the smith\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHamon:\u003c\/strong\u003e Bold gunome-midare \/ ō-midare with vigorous activity\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHabaki:\u003c\/strong\u003e Copper, single piece\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis exceptional \u003cstrong\u003eGendaitō Katana\u003c\/strong\u003e is a signed and dated work by \u003cstrong\u003eEnomoto Tatsuyoshi\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cspan lang=\"ja\"\u003e榎本竜義\u003c\/span\u003e), one of the most highly regarded and sought-after modern swordsmiths of his generation — a craftsman whose mastery of \u003cem\u003eō-hada\u003c\/em\u003e steel forging has earned him a devoted following among the most discerning collectors of contemporary Japanese swords. Dated \u003cstrong\u003eDecember 2003 (Heisei 15)\u003c\/strong\u003e, this is a blade from the mature peak of the smith's career, presented in a \u003cstrong\u003eHigo Kuyō-mon koshirae\u003c\/strong\u003e of exceptional prestige — an ensemble whose aristocratic iconography matches the ambition and quality of the blade it dresses.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt \u003cstrong\u003e71.8 cm\u003c\/strong\u003e with a confident \u003cstrong\u003e1.6 cm sori\u003c\/strong\u003e, the blade's proportions are immediately commanding. The \u003cem\u003emotohaba\u003c\/em\u003e of 32.2 mm — broad even by the standards of generous modern work — tapers with authority to a \u003cem\u003esakihaba\u003c\/em\u003e of 23.9 mm, the geometry carrying through a proud \u003cem\u003eshinogi-zukuri\u003c\/em\u003e profile to a sweeping \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eō-kissaki\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e of generous fukura. This is a blade that asserts itself visually before a single other quality is examined — long, wide, powerfully curved, and crowned by a kissaki whose scale recalls the great \u003cem\u003eōdachi\u003c\/em\u003e tradition of the Nanbokuchō period.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe defining quality of Enomoto Tatsuyoshi's work — and the characteristic that places him among a very small group of modern smiths with a truly distinctive artistic voice — is his deliberate cultivation of the \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eō-hada\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e (large wood-grain) steel surface. Where most modern smiths aim for the fine, close-grained \u003cem\u003eko-itame\u003c\/em\u003e or \u003cem\u003eko-mokume\u003c\/em\u003e ji favored since the Shinshintō revival, Enomoto embraces the bold, flowing grain patterns of the \u003cem\u003eō-mokume\u003c\/em\u003e tradition — a style that produces a \u003cem\u003ejigane\u003c\/em\u003e of extraordinary visual dynamism, its large, sweeping wood-grain lines visible across the entire body of the blade. The effect, seen in person, is of steel that appears to breathe — a living surface that rewards close examination with new detail at every angle of the light. This is not an accidental quality or a concession to lesser technique; it is a deliberate aesthetic statement, the product of a smith who has studied the classical tradition deeply enough to know when and why to depart from its conventions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003ehamon\u003c\/em\u003e is bold and vigorous — a full \u003cem\u003egunome-midare\u003c\/em\u003e with large, energetic peaks that traverse the cutting edge with martial confidence, the habuchi populated with active nie and the overall effect one of striking visual power. The \u003cem\u003eō-kissaki\u003c\/em\u003e is resolved with a clean, composed boshi that turns back with authority, the hamon continuing into the point without hesitation. Two \u003cem\u003emekugi-ana\u003c\/em\u003e punctuate the well-formed nakago, and the large copper \u003cem\u003ehabaki\u003c\/em\u003e — its warm reddish tone an intentional contrast to the cold steel of the blade — anchors the sword within its magnificent koshirae.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"koshirae\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eKoshirae Details: Higo Kuyō-mon\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe koshirae created for this blade is one of the most iconographically distinguished ensembles in the present collection, built around one of the most historically charged crests in Japanese samurai culture: the \u003cstrong\u003eHigo Kuyō-mon\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cspan lang=\"ja\"\u003e肥後九曜紋\u003c\/span\u003e) — the nine-circle celestial crest of the \u003cstrong\u003eHosokawa clan\u003c\/strong\u003e, lords of Higo Province (modern Kumamoto) and one of the most powerful and culturally refined daimyō houses of the Edo period. To commission a sword koshirae bearing this crest is to invoke one of the great aristocratic traditions of Japanese sword culture — the Hosokawa were celebrated not merely as warriors but as supreme patrons of the arts, their \u003cem\u003eHigo-mono\u003c\/em\u003e school of metalwork producing some of the finest sword fittings in Japanese history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003etsuba\u003c\/strong\u003e is the ensemble's most visually striking component. A large \u003cem\u003emarugata\u003c\/em\u003e (round) iron guard, its form is defined by bold \u003cem\u003esukashi\u003c\/em\u003e openwork — two generous oval cuts creating a wheel-like silhouette of classical simplicity — while the entire rim is adorned with a continuous band of \u003cstrong\u003egold \u003cem\u003ehirazogan\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e (flat gold inlay): chrysanthemum blossoms alternating with sinuous \u003cem\u003ekarakusa\u003c\/em\u003e scrollwork, the gold bright and warm against the deep aged iron ground. The precision of the inlay work and the elegance of the floral arrangement speak to a specialist \u003cem\u003ekinko\u003c\/em\u003e hand — this is decorative metalwork of genuine quality, not factory embellishment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003efuchi\u003c\/strong\u003e continues the gold hirazogan program with absolute consistency — the same chrysanthemum-and-karakusa motif rendered at the smaller scale of the collar, creating a seamless visual bridge between tsuka and tsuba. The unity of conception between these two pieces confirms that the koshirae was designed as a coherent artistic commission from the outset, not assembled from disparate sources.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003emenuki\u003c\/strong\u003e carry the ensemble's central iconographic statement: the \u003cstrong\u003eHigo Kuyō-mon\u003c\/strong\u003e — nine circles arranged in the traditional configuration of the Hosokawa clan crest — rendered in gold\/brass against a dark ground. These are not decorative abstractions but a specific, historically loaded heraldic device, one of the most recognizable aristocratic crests in Japanese cultural history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003etsuka\u003c\/strong\u003e is wrapped in black leather (\u003cem\u003ekawa\u003c\/em\u003e) in tight \u003cem\u003ehishi-maki\u003c\/em\u003e diamond braid over white \u003cem\u003esame\u003c\/em\u003e (ray skin), the luminous same nodules visible through each aperture, the overall handle severe and elegant in its restraint — a perfect counterpoint to the ornate richness of the gold inlay fittings. The \u003cstrong\u003esaya\u003c\/strong\u003e is finished in deep black lacquer with a cream and gold \u003cem\u003esageo\u003c\/em\u003e — the warm cord providing the koshirae's only chromatic warmth against an otherwise composed palette of black, iron, and gold.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"smith-background\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSwordsmith: Enomoto Tatsuyoshi\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEnomoto Tatsuyoshi\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cspan lang=\"ja\"\u003e榎本竜義\u003c\/span\u003e), working from \u003cstrong\u003eIzu Province\u003c\/strong\u003e (present-day Shizuoka Prefecture), is counted among the most talented and sought-after swordsmiths of the contemporary era. His reputation rests above all on his mastery of \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eō-hada mono\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e — blades in which the steel's grain structure is deliberately cultivated to produce the large, flowing wood-grain patterns of the \u003cem\u003eō-mokume\u003c\/em\u003e tradition. This is a demanding and relatively rare speciality among modern smiths: producing genuine, controlled \u003cem\u003eō-hada\u003c\/em\u003e requires a deep understanding of the folding and forging variables that govern grain structure, and the ability to harness what less skilled hands would regard as a defect and transform it into an aesthetic signature of power and distinction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis blades are described in Japanese collecting circles as \u003cem\u003e大変貴重\u003c\/em\u003e — \"extremely precious\" or \"of exceptional rarity\" — and as the work of a \u003cem\u003e人気刀工\u003c\/em\u003e (popular and esteemed swordsmith) whose output is eagerly sought by collectors at the highest level of the contemporary market. The present blade, dated to December 2003, represents the smith at full maturity — his technical mastery and artistic vision fully developed, the \u003cem\u003eō-hada\u003c\/em\u003e surface and bold \u003cem\u003egunome-midare\u003c\/em\u003e hamon combining to produce a work of individual character that stands apart from the more conventional beauties of modern Japanese swordsmanship.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"school-history\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHistorical Context: Gendaitō and the Higo Tradition\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGendaitō\u003c\/strong\u003e — \"modern swords\" forged after the Meiji Restoration (1868) and particularly those made in strict accordance with traditional hand-forging methods using \u003cem\u003etamahagane\u003c\/em\u003e steel — represent the living continuation of Japan's greatest craft tradition. The finest gendaitō smiths approach their work with the same scholarly seriousness as the great masters of the Kamakura and Muromachi periods, studying historical works, mastering classical techniques, and developing personal artistic voices within the inherited tradition. Enomoto Tatsuyoshi's ō-hada speciality situates him within a lineage reaching back to the bold, distinctive steel work of certain Sōshū and Yamato-den smiths who understood that the grain of the steel was itself an expressive medium.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eHigo-mono\u003c\/strong\u003e tradition of metalwork — associated with the Hosokawa domain of Higo Province and the workshops they patronized from the early Edo period — produced some of the most admired sword fittings in Japanese history, distinguished by their bold simplicity, high-quality iron, and restrained use of precious metal inlay. The koshirae of the present sword, with its gold hirazogan tsuba and fuchi and its Kuyō-mon menuki, consciously invokes this great tradition — connecting a blade forged in 2003 to one of the most distinguished streams in the entire history of Japanese sword culture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e","brand":"Tokyo Nihonto","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51212881232039,"sku":"KATANA62","price":6072.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0763\/6792\/1319\/files\/P1100513-Enhanced-NR.jpg?v=1786767955","url":"https:\/\/minkatana.shop\/products\/antique-japanese-katana-sword-signed-yoshimori","provider":"MINKATANA","version":"1.0","type":"link"}