Jūyō Tōken Sōshū Masahiro

Number

S-ML-030

Smith Name

Masahiro

Active Period

Jōji (貞治, 1362-1368)

School

Sōshū

Province

Sagami

Mei

Sōshū Kamakura-jū ??hiro (相州鎌倉住政廣)

Rating

Jūyō Tōken

Nagasa

41,2 cm

Masahiro (正廣), 1st generation, activity around Jōji era (貞治, 1362-1368), Sagami province, signatures variants: „Sōshū-jū Masahiro“ (相州住正廣), „Masahiro“ (正廣), „Sōshū-jū Masahiro saku“ (相州住正廣作), first name „Kurōjirō“ (九郎二郎), the son of the Sōshū Hiromitsu (廣光), he works in the style of his father whereas the hamon is somewhat smaller dimensioned, he also adds some togari elements, there are tachi, ko-wakizashi and tantō extant, Tokaido (東海道), chūjō-saku.

Jūyō Tōken Sōshū Masahiro Ko-Wakizashi: nagasa: 41.2 сm; sori: 0.5 сm; motohaba: 3.05 сm; nakago nagasa: 11.2 сm; nakago sori: very little.

Designated as Jūyō Tōken at the 22nd jūyō-shinsa held on the 1st of June, 1974.

Publications: NBTHK, Jūyō Token Nado Zufu, Volume 22, Dai Tōken Ichi catalogue, 2010, p. 11.

This Sōshū-Den Ko-Wakizashi made in sugata which is typical for Enbun and Jōji era. There is an interesting version related to Hiromitsu’s signature. It is the hypothesis that approximately in the Jōji era (貞治, 1362-1368), he started signing some of his works with the name Masahiro (正廣), using alternative kanji for inscribing «Masa»: 政. It is well-known fact that there is an extant sword bearing this type of signature, which is much better than one by Masahiro, in terms of quality, and differs from the latter in the style of its signature. NBTHK setsumei indicates the followed characteristics: prominent itame hada with ji-nie; hamon is nie laden gunome mixed with chōji; wide mihaba, sunnobi with a little sori. As we can conclude this sword shows typical characteristics for Hiromitsu blades, especially for hitatsura style. Moreover, there is prefix Kamakura-jū in the signature which we can find in Hiromitsu signatures. Summing all this facts it is possible to concludes that it is quiet possible that this ko-wakizashi was made by Sōshū Hiromitsu in his twilight years.