EDO PERIOD (17TH CENTURY), SIGNED HIZEN (NO) KUNI JU MUTSU NO KAMI TADA WITH ILLEGIBLE CHARACTER, POSSIBLY YOSHI, AND CUTTING TEST INSCRIPTION IN GOLD INLAY FUTATSU-DO JO-WAKIGE SHITA-SAN NO DO SAIDAN KORE, NEZU SABUROBYOE JO MITSUMASA AND WITH KAO (CURSIVE MONOGRAM) AND DATED GENROKU NI TSUCHINOTO-MI NEN JUICHI GATSU MIKKA (1689.11.3)

Cutting tests and corresponding gold inlay inscriptions became popular in the 17th century. Yamano Kanjuro, believed to be the first professional tester under the Tokugawa shogunate, is said to have performed tests on over 6,000 criminals. Nezu Saburobyoe Mitsumasa, who performed the cutting test on this sword, learned the cutting technique in the Yamano style. A four-volume handscroll detailing the secret technique of the Nezu cutting style are in the collection of the Seikado Bunko Art Museum, Tokyo. Nezu's cutting test inscriptions are extremely rare.