-, 39th Session — Designated November 5, 1993
, : no jū Daijō Minamoto Tanehiro (肥前国住肥後大掾源種広)
Measurements 75.9 cm, 1.6 cm, 3.0 cm, 2.0 cm, 3.1 cm, 20.4 cm, extremely slight
Description Keijō: , ; standard width with relatively high ; somewhat long in proportion; shallow ; . : compact with mixed ; abundant ; fine enters. : wide ; a lively with as the main theme, mixing , , , and other forms; overall the patterns tend toward small-scale motifs. : tempered fully through the and then straightens; deep with thick , mixing somewhat coarse ; appears; in places there are small suggestive of ; the is bright; turns back in with a -like finish at the tip. : None. : ; ; ; one . On the , toward the , there is a rather large, long signature; on the , below the toward the , there is a large supplementary inscription reading “Sukima-gumo” (透間雲).
Artisan Daijō Minamoto Tanehiro (肥後大掾源種広)
Era Early period (late ’ei to around )
Explanation Daijō Tanehiro used the personal name Ichitarō, and there are examples on which he abbreviates his signature to simply “Ichita.” Because swordsmiths who likewise signed “Ichita”—namely Morihide and Moriyasu, who resided at Hirado—are known, it is also conceivable that Tanehiro was a smith of the line as they. He received the court title of Daijō and lived in Saga. Among his works, an early example bearing a ’ei 17 (1640) date is known; however, his principal period of activity is presumably from the final years of ’ei through around the era.
This takes a broad and presents a flamboyant temper with as the principal tone, enlivened by a mixture of , , , and other forms. The is deep; adheres thickly; appears; and the is bright—features that, at a glance, can be mistaken for works by such “neighboring ” smiths as the Nidai Masahiro, or by the and Nidai Yukihiro.
However, in comparison with those smiths, the individual forms of the tempering here tend toward smaller-scale patterns, and in this point one can perceive an essential characteristic of this maker. The shows complex and an exuberant, turbulent ; thick adheres, mixing coarser and accompanying —revealing a bold, rustic workmanship. Within this smith’s limited surviving oeuvre, this blade displays an especially fine level of attainment.
Furthermore, the supplementary inscription “Sukima-gumo” (透間雲) on the appears to liken the image of clouds parting to the sword’s cutting ability.
