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Hamon : Nioi-deki saka ko-choji midare with ko-nie. The nioi-guchi is bright and shows excellent control. There are deep ashi and many yo mixed in.
Boshi : Ko-maru with a short kaeri.
Kitae : Mokume hada with masame that is "flowing" and clear.
About this sword : A rare and fine Minatogawa Jinja tachi by Moriwaki Masataka. He was born on Dec 7th 1911 and his civilian name was Moriwaki Kaname. His initial mei was Morimitsu. He entered the Yasukuni Jinja forge in 1936. There, he studied under Kajiyama Yasunori, Ikeda Yasumitsu and Kotani Yasunori. He received the Orders of the Sacred Treasure, fourth class. In 1940 he received the post of master swordsmith of the Kikusui Tanto Kai and was given the name “Masataka”. This forge was located at the Minatogawa jinja. Masataka made 7 tachi for Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku, which he awarded naval commanders that distinguished themselves. He had a remarkable career and is a highly regarded smith.
There were only about 3900 blades made at the Minogawa shirne in comparison to some 8100 at the Yasukuni shrine. Adding to this that Mintogawa blades were made for naval officers and the nature of their battlefield, the survival rate of Minatogawa works is markedly lower than Yasukuni-to.
This blade was once in the collection of Bob Coleman. The saya-gaki was done by the smith himself, Masataka for Mr. Comeman in 1981.
It reads as follows:
Kiku mon Minatogawa Jinja Masataka
Showa 17 year 9 month date
Gunome mixed with ko-choji reminding us of the work of Ko Bizen Masatsune
Hokikuni Moriwaki Masataka
For Robert A. Coleman
Showa 56 year 10 month 29 day wrote this Kakihan
Bob Coleman was an important and very successful collector of swords in the upper Midwest in and around Chicago. He was one of the people organizing the Chicago Sword Show in the old days and a big part of bringing Yoshikawa Koen of the NTHK to Chicago and other shows for Shinsa. Bob Coleman and Andy Quirt ran a sword auction called "Coleman and Quirt". They produced catalogues for their auctions and Mr. Coleman was also the President of the JSSUS at one time.
Mr Coleman published this sword in the JSSUS newsletter. It was again later published by Herman Wallinga in his work "Gendaito Made at the Minatogawa Shrine". See the page shown below.
This blade comes with its original Kikusui habaki, shira-saya with Masataka's sayagaki, sword bag and NTHK kanteisho paper. A thrilling and rare gendai by the leading smith of the Minatogawa Jinja.
HOLD
