A Superb Ancestral & Historical WW2 Japanese Officer's Sword by Masahiro a Shinto period Hizen Master Smith

A truly exceptional sword, with a stunning blade by a master smith with a beautiful and amazing hamon. Now fully conservator cleaned.

The blade is several hundred years old and likely used by the numerous samurai ancestors of its last Japanese owner from WW2.

The fabulous blade was one of the great Shinto Hizen smiths, in circa 1660, it is signed; Hizen koku Kawachi no Kami Fujiwara Masahiro.
A Chisa-Katana likely made by the Nidai Masahiro of Hizen. He was born in 1627 and was the son of the Shodai Masahiro , He was the great grandson of Shodai Hizen Tadayoshi. When began making swords he used the mei Masanaga, then later in his changed to Masahiro like his father.

He received three titles in his working life : Musashi no Daijo, Musashi no Kami and finally Kawachi no Kami in 1665. His famed swords have often tested with tamegashi a cutting test and one was recorded as cutting through an amazing three bodies. His swords are ranked as most superior and
this is a beautiful example, showing a typical fine gunome hamon.This beautiful example is likely later Shinto era, and last remounted and used as an ancestral blade, by an officer in WW2, in it's shin gunto fittings. Usually the first born son of an old samurai family is allowed the privilege to carry his family samurai ancestor's sword into combat, in the service of his Emperor. This is one of those swords, and we actively specialise in these rare weapons of WW2. The blade is quite beautiful and singularly elegant. In Hawley's seminal work on his appraisal and status of samurai sword smiths from the past millennia, he rates nidai Masahiro of Hizen around 50 points, probably less than one percent of his appraisals go up to this level of praise and recognition 38 inches long, blade 22.5 inches with just a few natural aged early surface pit mark traces.

Code: 23649