{"product_id":"authentic-japanese-sword-for-sale-shinto-era-tantoyoroidoshi-kunisada-tozando","title":"Authentic Japanese Sword for Sale - Shinto Era Tanto(Yoroidoshi) - Kunisada | Tozando","description":"\u003ch2\u003eAntique Japanese Yoroidōshi (armor-piercing tanto), signed Kunisada (国貞) of Aizu — early Edo period (Kanbun era), Mutsu province — an exceptionally thick blade with bō-hi on both faces — in a carved (kizami) period koshirae with kozuka\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSigned Aizu Kunisada yoroidōshi · a massive kasane of some 8 mm · packed itame-with-mokume · a bright, clear hoso-suguha of ko-nie-deki · bō-hi on both faces (maru-dome) · in an elaborate kizami-saya mounting with a full ray-skin hilt and a tengu fuchi-kashira\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe present a superb tanto — plain and robust, yet full of dignity — by the master \u003cem\u003eKunisada\u003c\/em\u003e, who forged iron in Aizu, Mutsu province, in the Kanbun era of the early Edo period, when the echoes of the age of war still lingered. It has the weighty form of a \u003cem\u003eyoroidōshi\u003c\/em\u003e (armor-piercing dagger), with a \u003cem\u003ekasane\u003c\/em\u003e reaching a full 8 mm, and a finely carved \u003cem\u003ebō-hi\u003c\/em\u003e run neatly along both faces. Into this blade, the resolve and practical beauty of the samurai are packed to the very limit, and it is accompanied by an elaborately designed carved-scabbard period mounting (\u003cem\u003ekizami-saya jidai koshirae\u003c\/em\u003e) with a fitted \u003cem\u003ekozuka\u003c\/em\u003e — a piece that conveys the very breath of history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWorkmanship and condition\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThough in an older polish, the carefully honed blade keeps very good soundness in both ground and edge. The \u003cem\u003ejigane\u003c\/em\u003e is a packed \u003cem\u003eitame\u003c\/em\u003e mixed with \u003cem\u003emokume\u003c\/em\u003e, suggesting both the clear skin and the tenacity peculiar to the shintō period. The \u003cem\u003ehamon\u003c\/em\u003e is based on a bright, clear \u003cem\u003ehoso-suguha\u003c\/em\u003e (narrow straight temper) of \u003cem\u003eko-nie-deki\u003c\/em\u003e, with fine \u003cem\u003eko-ashi\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eyō\u003c\/em\u003e scattering gently along the edge — a quiet temper that conceals high technical skill. Despite an overwhelming \u003cem\u003ekasane\u003c\/em\u003e for its width, the \u003cem\u003ebō-hi\u003c\/em\u003e with rounded ends (\u003cem\u003emaru-dome\u003c\/em\u003e) carved through both faces gives it both good balance in hand and a refined, high-toned beauty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eForm\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat catches the eye at once is the extraordinarily weighty \u003cem\u003eyoroidōshi\u003c\/em\u003e form, some 8 mm thick. Built for grappling combat — to pierce the gaps in an opponent's armor at close quarters — it is an intensely martial shape, and yet the balance of its width and thickness, together with the carved grooves, lends it even a refined elegance. The taut tension peculiar to the early Edo Kanbun era overflows from the whole blade.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eOn the smith — Kunisada of Aizu\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKunisada was a smith active around the Kanbun era in Aizu, Mutsu province (present-day western Fukushima). Answering the demand of the samurai of his day, he sent many sturdy, keenly cutting, practical blades into the world. The shintō-era Aizu smiths were esteemed for the high-quality ground they achieved by carefully forging the hard iron of the northern country, and for a rugged yet beautiful finish that prized practicality — and this work, too, is a splendid piece that shows the true worth of the Aizu smiths.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe koshirae\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe accompanying \u003cem\u003ekizami-saya jidai koshirae\u003c\/em\u003e is a set worthy of this commanding tanto, with a connoisseur's elaborate construction. Over the whole \u003cem\u003esaya\u003c\/em\u003e runs a delicate, well-balanced carved (\u003cem\u003ekizami\u003c\/em\u003e) pattern, and the deep, subdued flavor of its period lacquer gives it exceptional bearing. Especially notable is the hilt, finished in a magnificent \u003cem\u003esō-same-maki\u003c\/em\u003e (full ray-skin wrap) in which large central nodules (\u003cem\u003eoyatsubu\u003c\/em\u003e) stand out — full ray-skin with oyatsubu was extremely costly even at the time, a status symbol of the owner's rank and of an exceptional devotion to his sword. The \u003cem\u003efuchi-kashira\u003c\/em\u003e further bears a period-carved \u003cem\u003etengu\u003c\/em\u003e design, carrying the strong protective meaning of warding off evil. Together with the deep antique patina of the fittings, it is a top-grade period koshirae of high appreciation value, distilling the samurai's spirit and aesthetic.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA hefty, combat-minded yoroidōshi such as this is a precious historical testament, conveying to the present the resolve and aesthetic of the Aizu samurai of the age. An overwhelming armor-piercing form, a beautifully carved bō-hi, an assured soundness within the old polish, and a period-rich carved-scabbard mounting — in it one can feel the warrior's passion left behind by the Aizu master Kunisada.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eType:\u003c\/strong\u003e Tanto — yoroidōshi (armor-piercing dagger), with bō-hi on both faces (maru-dome)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignature (mei):\u003c\/strong\u003e Kunisada (国貞), of Aizu\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCertification:\u003c\/strong\u003e none\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePeriod:\u003c\/strong\u003e Early Edo period, Kanbun era (1661–1673)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSmith \/ province:\u003c\/strong\u003e Kunisada — Aizu, Mutsu province (present-day western Fukushima)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eJigane:\u003c\/strong\u003e packed itame mixed with mokume; clear and tenacious\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHamon:\u003c\/strong\u003e bright, clear hoso-suguha of ko-nie-deki, with ko-ashi and yō\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBlade length (nagasa):\u003c\/strong\u003e 24.3 cm \/ 9.57 in (about 8 sun)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurvature (sori):\u003c\/strong\u003e 0 cm (mu-sori)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWidth at base (motohaba):\u003c\/strong\u003e 28.2 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThickness at base (motokasane):\u003c\/strong\u003e 7.7 mm (exceptionally thick, near 8 mm)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight (blade only):\u003c\/strong\u003e 230 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight (without scabbard):\u003c\/strong\u003e 360 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e older polish; ground and edge very sound\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMounting:\u003c\/strong\u003e kizami-saya period koshirae — carved\/fluted saya with subdued period lacquer, full ray-skin (sō-same) hilt with large oyatsubu, tengu fuchi-kashira, with a fitted kozuka\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTorokushō (Japanese registration) No.:\u003c\/strong\u003e Nagano 94065\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Tozando Katana Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53734859145579,"sku":"611-NNT094065","price":360000.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0491\/2178\/8069\/files\/nagano94065_kunisada_1.jpg?v=1787013950","url":"https:\/\/japanesesword.net\/products\/authentic-japanese-sword-for-sale-shinto-era-tantoyoroidoshi-kunisada-tozando","provider":"Tozando Katana Shop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}