Hizen Tadayoshi Perfection

[Isocyanide]

Well almost. I feel honored to have upped my Hizen Tadayoshi to two with the addition of another Nidai Tadahiro dai-saku mei.  This piece is an amazing, flawless work by the Sandai Tadayoshi who's diagnostic, deep katte-agari yasurime is quite evident.  

 

I picked the sword up from the Aoi-art auction, and Tsuruta-san said this is one the best works he's seen from the Nidai.  I was the lone bidder on the auction, the sword was going to go to a Japanese collector if no one bid, so I feel very lucky.  Tsuruta-san even sent a handwritten letter to me thanking me and also asking me to take very good care of this special sword, which I told him I absolutely would do.

 

So I say almost perfect, because a flaw with the nakago.  The munemachi side of the nakago is shaved down slightly.  This changes the profile of the nakago-jiri.  So it's not 100% ubu.  If someone has an explanation why someone would do this I'd like to hear.

 

This sword is a beast!  Very thick, 3.3 cm at the hamachi, 2.5 at the kissaki, very powerful sugata, nice longish chu-kissaki.  The jihada is absolutely gorgeous konuka hada, as one would expect from the Sandai.  The jinie appear larger than my other wakizashi and I'm having a lot of fun comparing the two.  This sword shows absolutely no shingane, which is notorious with this school.  I'm really enjoying the chu-suguha hamon of this sword.  The nioguchi is very thick and nice looking. 

 

From the slanted vertical stroke in Tada, I would date the sword to 1674 or shortly there after, definitely post 1672.  

 

I'm using one shot from Tsuruta-san for the full length shot, I need to set up my wife's office to get anything decent with my lens.

 

 

[Stephen]

very nice, always liked his hada

[Jason Williams]

Drooling!!!

 

 

Jason

[Ray Singer]

Very beautiful, thank you for sharing. I likewise have a sandai dai-saku dai-mei which is of the same large proportions. He made a very beautiful jigane.

 

Best regards,

Ray

[Greg F]

Wow very nice Steve! Looks like a beast! The hada is really something to enjoy. Thanks.

 

 

Greg

[Isocyanide]

Thanks gentlemen.  Hopefully I can share this sword with some folks in person.  If anyone is ever in the NYC area let me know!

 

Photos look better on flickr:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/46661974@N06/21225965714/in/dateposted-public/

 

Nice Ray! If you don't mind, could you send me a picture of the mei?  I'm always looking to expand my knowledge on Hizen Tadayoshi.

[Ray Singer]

Please see attached.

 

Best,

Ray

[Isocyanide]

Thanks!