Katana in Shirasaya (NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Paper)

Signature: Iyo Daijo Tachibana Katsukuni tsukuru. (Shinto, Josaku, Owazamono.)
Kanbun 11nen 8 gatsu-hi (August, 1671)

Blade has been high quality polished.
Blade length : 66.0 cm or 25.98 inches.
Sori : 1.0 cm or 0.39 inches.
Mekugi: 1
Width at the hamachi : 2.94 cm or 1.15 inches.
Width at the Kissaki : 1.87 cm or 0.73 inches.
Kasane : 0.66 cm or 0.25 inches.
Era : Early Edo period. Kanbun era. (August, 1671)
Shape : Width and thickness are average. The blade shape is little curved, it is Kanbun-shinto style.
Jitetsu : Very tight Ko-itame. And Jitatsu is very clear and glossy and
beautiful.
Hamon : Ko-nie based, Togari-Gunome. There are many Ashi in Ha.

Special feature : Katsukuni was known as Matsudo Zenzaburo.
His first signature is Katsushige, and he was allowed to engrave
“Iyo-Daijo” in 1661.
He respected 2nd Generation Kanemoto, and his blades were very cut-well.
His blade was ranked Owazamono.
Unfortunately, this blade has Tate ware on Kissaki, But it is inconspicuous.
This blade quality is very nice, and this blade has Ura-mei signature.
Ura-mei is very rare in his blades.

Historical background: Tokugawa Yorinobu passed away in 1671.
(He was a 10th son of Tokugawa Ieyasu.)
Tokugawa shogunate order all Daimyo to make Shumon-Nin-Betsu-Aratame-Cho.(It is the record of every citizen’s religion.)

NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Paper
Aoi Art estimation paper : whole Oshigata.