SHINSHINTO
A SHINSHINTO MUSASHI WAKIZASHI

Details
A SHINSHINTO MUSASHI WAKIZASHI
EDO PERIOD, DATED 1790, SIGNED SUISHINSHI MASAHIDE WITH KAO
Configuration (sugata): with longitudinal ridge line (shinogi-zukuri), shallow peaked back (iori-mune) and medium point (chu-kissaki); length (nagasa): 1 shaku, 8 sun, 1 bu (55.0cm.); curvature (sori): shallow koshi-zori of 1.0cm.; increase in width of blade (fumbari): 1.0cm.
Forging pattern (jihada): 'pear-skin' (nashiji) with a shadowy subcutaneous upwelling of masame which generally parallels areas of the tempering pattern.
Tempering pattern (hamon): irregular toran massively composed of 'swept sands' (sunagashi) melding into extensive sudare-ba predominantly in the areas of highest convexity.
Point (boshi): sudare-ba-komi terminating in a flat flame-brushed tip (hakikake).
Tang (nakago). Shape (keitai): regular, strongly tapering, unshortened (ubu), and with a dry, brown patina through which part of the original surface is exposed; file marks (yasurime): kesho-yasuri; end (nakagojiri): ha-agari kurijiri; holes (mekugi-ana): one; signature (katanamei): Suishinshi Masahide with kao, dated Kansei 2 (1790), 2nd month.

Shirasaya.

Accompanied by a tokubetsu kicho token certificate issued by the N.B.T.H.K., no number, dated Showa 34 (1959).
Provenance
T. Okajima, Japan Art Co., New York