Q441.  Tanto signed Fujiwara Korekazu Saku and dated Bunkyu (1861 – 1863) Tsuchinoye Ni Gatsu Hi.

Nagasa: 10 5/16″  26.2 cm.

Sori:  .3 cm.

Moto haba:  2.65 cm.

Moto kasane:  .4 cm.

Nakago nagasa:  4 3/8″  10.9 cm.

Overall in shirasaya:  17″  43 cm.

Moroha zukuri, iore mune. The hada is a flowing masame overlain by ko itame on the omote and on the ura it is ko itame. The hamon is a gently undulating suguba in a bright and consistent nioi guchi covered in ko nie. There is sunagashi, kinsuji, and other subtle hataraki. The boshi ends in ko-maru with a long and complex kaeri. The tanto is in polish except for what are likely remnants of fingerprints running crossways at the middles of both sides (this presents as white, misty lines from the edge to the shinogi). There are a few tiny, tiny pin pricks, nothing really; otherwise the blade is flawless. The tanto is mounted in shirasaya with a nice gold foil habaki. There is a Tokubetsu Kicho paper from the NBTHK dated 1976.

Unju Korekazu was the nephew of Chounsai Tsunatoshi, with whom he is thought to have studied. He was born in 1816 or 17 and died in 1891. He was the 7th generation of Korekazu and worked in the Ishido School. He was an important smith in late Shinshinto and is ranked Jo Jo Saku by Fujishiro.

As always, my pictures don’t do justice, but I have given you a lot of them to look at; you can see every inch. 1 pound, 3 ounces. $2,950.