Lot Essay
Of these so-called temple blades, the largest recorded was a blade of 7 feet 5 inches (226 cm.) made by Bizen Morimitsu in 1447 for the Kibitsu Shrine
Details
A SHINSHINTO TEMPLE TACHI
LATE EDO PERIOD (19TH CENTURY), INSCRIBED KUNIHIRO SAKU
Sugata: with shinogi-zukuri, iori-mune and chu-kissaki; nagasa: 3 shaku, 9 sun, 9.5 bu (121 cm.); horimono: dragons on both sides. Jihada: itame. Hamon: indistinct. horimono: indistinct. Nakago keitai: tapering, ubu and with a semi-moist patina; yasurime: sujikai; nakagojiri: kengyo; mekugi-ana: two; mei, tachi-mei: gimei, Kunihiro saku.
Handachi koshirae: red lacquer saya (come chips and cracks); undecorated iron handachi mounts, unsigned--length 7 feet 6 inches (228.5 cm.)
LATE EDO PERIOD (19TH CENTURY), INSCRIBED KUNIHIRO SAKU
Sugata: with shinogi-zukuri, iori-mune and chu-kissaki; nagasa: 3 shaku, 9 sun, 9.5 bu (121 cm.); horimono: dragons on both sides. Jihada: itame. Hamon: indistinct. horimono: indistinct. Nakago keitai: tapering, ubu and with a semi-moist patina; yasurime: sujikai; nakagojiri: kengyo; mekugi-ana: two; mei, tachi-mei: gimei, Kunihiro saku.
Handachi koshirae: red lacquer saya (come chips and cracks); undecorated iron handachi mounts, unsigned--length 7 feet 6 inches (228.5 cm.)