Tanto Dagger (signed Bishu Osafune ju Nagashige, kinoe-inu year)

A Masterpiece of the Soshu Tradition from Bizen

The Tanto Dagger (signed Bishu Osafune ju Nagashige, kinoe-inu year) (短刀〈銘備州長船住長重／甲戌〉) is a Nanbokucho-period tanto by Nagashige, location not disclosed (private collection), which in 1953 was designated a National Treasure.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs records one blade 26.0 centimetres long, curved inward, 2.5 centimetres wide at the base with a tang of 11.2 centimetres, first designated under the old system in 1942.

According to the Agency, Nagashige belonged to the school of Nagayoshi of Bizen, and the cyclical date kinoe-inu in the signature corresponds to 1334.

The Blade

According to the Agency, it is flat-sided with a three-faced back, curved inward. The steel shows a tight wood grain with a slight flow, thick crystals, dark lines and patches.

The temper line mixes gentle waves and half-circles, with sweeping lines, legs, bright crystals throughout and golden streaks in places. The tang is unaltered, with one peg hole and signatures on both faces.

What to Look For

The Agency calls it a masterpiece showing the highest skill of the Soshu tradition.

The Agency notes that it is said to have been worn by Hon'ami Kotoku, the leading appraiser of the Hon'ami family who served Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and that its mounting dates from the early Edo period.

Visiting the Tanto Dagger (signed Bishu Osafune ju Nagashige, kinoe-inu year)

It is privately owned, and no official information on viewing could be found.