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Lot Essay
Accompanied by a certificate of registration as a Hozon Token [Sword Worthy of Preservation] no. 363918, issued by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai [Society for the Preservation of The Japanese Art Sword] on 1st April 2003
There were many excellent smiths named Kiyomitsu in the sue-Bizen (late Bizen) school from around the middle of the sixteenth century. The modes of signature varied even with individual smiths, and it is not known for certain how many used the personal names found on dated pieces, such as Gorozaemon, Yosozaemon-no-jo, Magozaemon, Magoyuemon,Magobei, Shinjuro, Yabei and others. Moreover the swords are all generally of the characteristic robust and slightly narrowing shape of this piece, and this together with the similarity in steel texture tells of the very close relationship between the Osafune smiths at the time.
There were many excellent smiths named Kiyomitsu in the sue-Bizen (late Bizen) school from around the middle of the sixteenth century. The modes of signature varied even with individual smiths, and it is not known for certain how many used the personal names found on dated pieces, such as Gorozaemon, Yosozaemon-no-jo, Magozaemon, Magoyuemon,Magobei, Shinjuro, Yabei and others. Moreover the swords are all generally of the characteristic robust and slightly narrowing shape of this piece, and this together with the similarity in steel texture tells of the very close relationship between the Osafune smiths at the time.