Sword - Steel - Japan

Hiroyasu
Tantō

- Blade length: 23.7 cm
- Curvature: 0 cm
- Mekugi hole: 1
- Motohaba (Width near tang): 26 mm
- Motokasane (Thickness near tang): 7.3 mm
- Sakihaba (Width near tip): 23.7 mm
- Sakikasane (Thickness near tip): 5.4 mm
- Weight: 960 g (blade only)/ 1,210 g (with koshirae)
- Signature: Osafune jū Hiroyasu saku　Shigetsune hori
- Signature translation: Made by Hiroyasu, who lives in Osafune/ Engraved by Shigetsune
- Era: Modern
- Construction: Hira-zukuri, Iori-mune
- Kitaehada (Grain pattern): Koitame
- Hamon (Temper line): Kataochi gunome
- Bōshi (Hamon in the tip): Chūmaru
- Tang: Unshortened

Andō Yūsuke (craft name: Hiroyasu), the creator of this stunning tantō is the head master swordsmith at the Bizen Osafune Japanese Sword Museum in Setouchi City, Okayama Prefecture. Sharing his knowledge and passion for swordsmithing with visitors, he is always open to discuss the commissioning of a new piece of art history.

Inspired by the swords of his home prefecture, Andō takes great inspiration from the works of the past great masters of the Osafune School, such as the renowned Kagemitsu and Nagamitsu, weaving ancient technique with modern flair. Tireless research and experimentation have allowed him to bring out ‘utsuri’, a shadowy secondary pattern in the blade steel rarely seen on modern blades and only on the best of ancient swords. Despite his success, he has only redoubled his efforts, continuing to hunt for the ‘perfect utsuri’.

With a shape that emulates that of tantō of the mid-Kamakura, this tantō has a well-forged, tight koitame (small woodgrain) grain pattern. With a very short yakidashi (start of the hamon) contained entirely within the habakimoto (area of the blade where the habaki sits), the highly regular hamon of gunome (small wave) and koshi no hiraita gunome (broad-based small wave) remains a consistant, even height across its entire length, before turning back in a chūmaru (medium-round) bōshi (hamon in the point). The blade contains abundant jinie (coarse black steel grains), while above the hamon sits Andō's trademark utsuri ('shadow hamon').

This blade features an engraving by Katayama Kō (craft name: Shigetsune), the master engraver at the Bizen Osafune Japanese Sword Museum and one of the best in Japan. On the front face is a 'dokkō', in sanskrit known as a 'vajra', a double ended sword and Buddhist symbol of indestructibility and overwhelming force, inside a fuller or 'hi'. On the reverse is the name of the Buddhist 'wisdom king' Fudō Myōō, written in 'bonji' (siddham) script.

The blade comes with a shirasaya storage scabbard and habaki decorated with gold amalgam.

The blade, habaki, and shirasaya are all in very good condition.

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This item will be shipped to you directly from Japan after the transaction is finalized. We will apply for an export permit from Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs and ship it once approval is granted. Please understand that this process takes approximately one month.

Swords will be shipped by air freight (UPS or EMS) in most cases but, should air shipment to the winning bidder's country not be possible, it will be sent by sea. In Belgium, private sales of Japanese swords are prohibited by law, so bids from Belgium are not permitted.