Archived Nihonto.ca (Yuhindo.com): Tadakuni Wakizashi

Harima no Daijo Tadakuni

This is a sword by the Shodai Hizen Tadakuni, from the earlier part of his career. He was born in 1604 and is the son of Hizen Yoshiie, and has the family name of Hashimoto. Hizen Yoshiie was the younger brother of the first Tadayoshi, making Shodai Tadakuni the nephew of the grandmaster smith. Fujishiro rates Tadakuni as Jo-saku for superior skill, and he has been given the Wazamono rating for manufacture of sharp blades.

The Hizen school was patronized by the powerful Nabeshima family, and under this arrangement they thrived. Tadakuni at the end of his career received the Harima no Kami title, and later on became a Buddhist priest before his death, after a long life, in 1681.

This sword bears an o-kissaki which is inspired by works of the Nambokucho period which were often worn in the early Edo period in suriage fashion as katana and wakizashi. The hamon is a gunome midare that is one of the styles of Tadakuni, and similar in some ways to the Toran Midare being practiced by the Osaka smiths around this time.

I would recommend it be put to polish as the jigane is not visible and there are some dustings of oxidation on the blade as well as some scratches. There is one small kitae ware, but otherwise the jihada is intact. I have seen a few works by this smith now and when polished if the blade were to follow through in fashion it will be quite gorgeous.

The sword received shinteisho papers to authenticate the signature, but after polish I think the sword due to the reputation of its maker and the good number of Juyo Token available by him, that it would be expected to achieve Tokubetsu Hozon papers from the NBTHK or Kanteisho from the NTHK.

The sword is currently in koshirae, and should receive a new shirasaya after polish. There is a kozuka that belongs to the koshirae, but currently there is no kogatana.