| Product No. SNT-0112 小刀（銘：武蔵国住吉原荘二作之） | |
|---|---|
| Mei | Kogatana signed by Yoshihara Sōji, resident of Musashi Province |
| Material | Tamahagane Iron |
| Era | Contemporary, Showa Period |
| Length |
24.3 cm 9.6 in |
| Motohaba |
1.6 cm 0.6 in |
| Munekasane |
0.3 cm 0.1 in |
| Blade length |
14.9 cm 5.9 in |
Price |
150,000 JPY |
| This kogatana, signed “Musashi no Kuni-jū Yoshihara Sōji Saku Kore,” is an early work made by swordsmith Yoshihara Sōji before he succeeded to the prestigious name Kuniie (3rd generation). Yoshihara Sōji was born in Tokyo in 1945. He became the third-generation successor of the renowned Yoshihara Kuniie lineage, following his grandfather, the first-generation Kuniie (Katsukichi, born 1894), and his father, the second-generation Kuniie (Masahiro). His elder brother is the famous swordsmith Yoshihara Yoshindo. In 1957, at the age of 12, he began studying sword forging under his grandfather, the first-generation Kuniie. He received his official swordsmith license in 1965 and began exhibiting at the annual Shinsaku Meitō Exhibition in 1966. From 1971 to 1981, he won top prizes for eleven consecutive years. In 1982, at the age of 37, he was recognized as Mukansa. In 2008, he became Chairman of the All Japan Swordsmith Association and was also designated as a holder of Intangible Cultural Property by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. He was a master swordsmith and one of the leading figures in the modern Japanese sword world until his passing in May 2023 at the age of 78. This kogatana shows a finely forged ko-itame hada and a gunome hamon with active ashi. It is a vigorous early work made before he inherited the prestigious Kuniie name and clearly conveys the youthful energy and ambition of the smith. |
Search
