An excellent shinshinto katana in koshirae by Tegara Yama Kai no Kami Masashige, dated 1804.

NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers.

Nagasa 69.5 cm, 27.375 inches

Sori 1.1 cm

Motohaba 28.5 mm Sakihaba 19.5 mm

Motokasane 6.2 mm Sakikasane 4.6 mm

Sashi Omote: Tegara Yama Kai (no) Kami Masashige

Sashi Ura: Kyowa san nen hachi gatsu hi A day in the 8th lunar month of the 3rd year of Kyowa (1804)

This slim, graceful blade by the well known shinshinto smith, Masashige, is an ubu shinogi tsukuri katana with shallow torii zori, chu kissaki, a slightly raised shinogi, and a medium shinogi ji and iorii mune. The nakago is ha-agari kuri jiri with one mekugi ana. The tang is finished in keisho with osujikai yasurime. The blade is forged in a fine ko itame with profuse fine ji nie. The hamon is suguha based with slight notare. There are running inazuma, sunagashi, hotsure, and other fine ko-nie based hataraki in the nioi deki habuchi.

The blade is mounted in a black-lacquered saya with horn kojiri, koiguchi and kurikata, black tsukaito over good same, with shakudo and gold kiku f/k and menuki. Good iron sukashi tsuba with kiku motif, probably Chosu school. Brown sageo with woven silver thread pattern, good silver foil over copper habaki.

Fujishiro rates Tegara Yama Masashige as Jojo Saku. Masashige was the younger brother of sandai Ujishige, and when his brother died at an early age, he became the head of the school and signed Ujishige until his nephew came of age. He then signed Masashige. The Ujushige forge was at the foot of Tegara Yama. Masashige came to the attention of Etchu Matsudaira Sadanobu, became his retained kaji with a fief of 500 koku, and moved to Edo. He was awarded the title, Kai no Kami, in Kyowa ninen. Some sources indicate he may have studied for a time with Suishinsi Masahide at some point in Edo.

$20,000