{"product_id":"antique-japanese-katana-sword-signed-jumyo-with-reddish-koshirae","title":"Antique Japanese Katana Sword signed Jumyo with Reddish Koshirae","description":"\u003csection class=\"product\"\u003e\u003cheader\u003e\u003c\/header\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"specs\"\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignature (Mei):\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cspan lang=\"ja\"\u003e壽命\u003c\/span\u003e Jumyō (Edo-period attribution)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSwordsmith:\u003c\/strong\u003e Jumyō (also known as Toshinaga)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSchool \/ Tradition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Jumyō School — Mino-den tradition (Yamato origins)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePeriod \/ Province:\u003c\/strong\u003e Edo Period \/ Mino Province (modern-day Gifu Prefecture)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMounting:\u003c\/strong\u003e Period koshirae — nashiji-nuri saya, dragon-motif fuchi-kashira in shakudō with gilt, mokko-gata iron tsuba\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBlade Length (Nagasa):\u003c\/strong\u003e 69 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurvature (Sori):\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.75 cm — elegant koshizori\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMekugi-ana:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShape:\u003c\/strong\u003e Shinogi-zukuri, chu-kissaki, moderate mihaba with refined fukura\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHamon:\u003c\/strong\u003e Notare-gunome with togari — classic Mino-den character with nie along the habuchi\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBoshi:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ko-maru turnback with calm continuation of the hamon into the kissaki\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis distinguished \u003cstrong\u003eKatana\u003c\/strong\u003e bears the signature of \u003cstrong\u003eJumyō\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cspan lang=\"ja\"\u003e壽命\u003c\/span\u003e), one of the most celebrated and auspiciously named lineages in the entire history of Japanese swordsmanship. The name Jumyō — meaning \u003cem\u003elongevity\u003c\/em\u003e or \u003cem\u003elife span\u003c\/em\u003e — was no idle choice; swords bearing this mei were traditionally offered as \u003cstrong\u003eceremonial gifts among daimyō and the highest echelons of samurai society\u003c\/strong\u003e, prized precisely because their name carried an invocation of long life and prosperity. Measuring \u003cstrong\u003e69 cm\u003c\/strong\u003e with a graceful \u003cstrong\u003e1.75 cm koshizori\u003c\/strong\u003e, this blade presents the refined geometry of the Edo-period Mino tradition: a well-proportioned \u003cem\u003eshinogi-zukuri\u003c\/em\u003e form with a composed \u003cem\u003echu-kissaki\u003c\/em\u003e, clean \u003cem\u003eshinogi-ji\u003c\/em\u003e, and a \u003cem\u003emune\u003c\/em\u003e that tapers with understated elegance toward the point.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003ehamon\u003c\/em\u003e displays the unmistakable hallmarks of \u003cstrong\u003eMino-den\u003c\/strong\u003e differential hardening: a rhythmic \u003cem\u003enotare-gunome\u003c\/em\u003e undulation punctuated by \u003cstrong\u003etogari\u003c\/strong\u003e — the characteristic pointed protrusions that became synonymous with Mino mastery — riding along a bright, active \u003cem\u003ehabuchi\u003c\/em\u003e enriched with \u003cem\u003enie\u003c\/em\u003e crystals. Viewed along the blade's length, the hamon moves with confident vitality, neither overwrought nor timid, reflecting the controlled hand of a smith working within a tradition refined over centuries. The \u003cem\u003eji\u003c\/em\u003e exhibits the fine, close-grained steel surface that is the hallmark of properly folded Mino-den \u003cem\u003etamahagane\u003c\/em\u003e, with hints of \u003cem\u003eshirake utsuri\u003c\/em\u003e — the ghostly white reflection in the body of the blade that connects this work to its ancient Yamato roots.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003eboshi\u003c\/em\u003e in the \u003cem\u003ekissaki\u003c\/em\u003e follows through cleanly with a composed \u003cem\u003eko-maru\u003c\/em\u003e turnback, the hamon narrowing gracefully to meet the \u003cem\u003efukura\u003c\/em\u003e of the point. The \u003cem\u003ekissaki\u003c\/em\u003e itself is a well-formed \u003cem\u003echu-kissaki\u003c\/em\u003e — neither too elongated nor too compact — with a keen, sweeping profile that speaks to both aesthetic balance and practical cutting geometry. The two \u003cem\u003emekugi-ana\u003c\/em\u003e in the \u003cem\u003enakago\u003c\/em\u003e confirm the blade's age and authentic history of use, while the \u003cem\u003eyasurime\u003c\/em\u003e file marks on the tang retain their period character beneath the clearly inscribed \u003cem\u003ezaimei\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis katana represents the Jumyō school at its most dignified — a blade forged not for the chaos of the Sengoku battlefield, but for the refined world of Edo-period samurai culture, where a sword's name, provenance, and aesthetic merit were as significant as its cutting ability.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"koshirae\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eKoshirae Details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe sword retains a \u003cstrong\u003ecomplete period koshirae\u003c\/strong\u003e of exceptional character, unified by a sophisticated dragon motif that runs from \u003cem\u003ekashira\u003c\/em\u003e to \u003cem\u003efuchi\u003c\/em\u003e with remarkable artistic coherence. The \u003cstrong\u003esaya\u003c\/strong\u003e is lacquered in a warm, deep reddish-brown \u003cem\u003enashiji-nuri\u003c\/em\u003e (pear-skin lacquer) finish — a technique that suspends fine metallic particles within layered urushi to produce a rich, textured surface reminiscent of autumn embers. The lacquer shows honest age and a beautiful, deep patina that only centuries of careful stewardship can produce. Black horn \u003cem\u003ekoiguchi\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003ekurikata\u003c\/em\u003e fittings accent the saya with restrained elegance, and the overall form follows the natural curvature of the blade within.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003efuchi-kashira\u003c\/strong\u003e (collar and pommel) constitute the most spectacular element of this koshirae. Both pieces are worked in \u003cem\u003eshakudō\u003c\/em\u003e — the refined copper-gold alloy prized by Edo-period metalworkers for its deep, lustrous black patina — and feature a dramatic \u003cstrong\u003egold dragon in high relief\u003c\/strong\u003e, depicted amid swirling \u003cem\u003ekarakusa\u003c\/em\u003e clouds with exceptional sculptural detail. The dragon's scales, claws, and fierce expression are rendered with the confident chiseling of a skilled \u003cem\u003ekinko\u003c\/em\u003e (metalworking) artisan. The \u003cem\u003ekashira\u003c\/em\u003e shows the dragon coiling across the entire face of the cap with gilt highlights that have aged to a rich, warm gold, while the \u003cem\u003efuchi\u003c\/em\u003e continues the motif with a second dragon emerging from clouds, the two pieces forming a thematic narrative that encircles the hand of the bearer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003etsuba\u003c\/strong\u003e is a solid \u003cem\u003emokko\u003c\/em\u003e-gata (four-lobed) iron guard with a robust, hammered \u003cem\u003etsuchime\u003c\/em\u003e surface texture, its deep black patina and honest, weighty construction speaking to functional Edo-period taste. Three \u003cem\u003ehitsu-ana\u003c\/em\u003e — the central nakago-ana flanked by kozuka and kogai hitsu — are neatly formed, and the overall surface carries the aged patina of genuine period use. The simplicity of this iron tsuba provides a powerful visual counterpoint to the ornate drama of the fuchi-kashira.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003etsuka\u003c\/strong\u003e is wrapped in tightly braided black silk \u003cem\u003etsuka-ito\u003c\/em\u003e in the classic \u003cem\u003ehishi-maki\u003c\/em\u003e diamond pattern over white \u003cem\u003esame\u003c\/em\u003e (rayskin), the nodules of the same catching the light through each diamond aperture. Set within the wrapping are a pair of \u003cstrong\u003emenuki\u003c\/strong\u003e depicting botanical forms — a blossoming flower on one side, a foliate spray on the other — rendered in \u003cem\u003eshibuichi\u003c\/em\u003e with selective gilt detail. The combination of matte dark silk, luminous same, and the warm glint of the gilt menuki creates a handle of considered elegance entirely appropriate to the sword's aristocratic pedigree.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"smith-background\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSwordsmith Background: The Jumyō Lineage\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJumyō\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cspan lang=\"ja\"\u003e壽命\u003c\/span\u003e), also known as \u003cstrong\u003eToshinaga\u003c\/strong\u003e, heads a swordsmiths' lineage whose origins trace to \u003cstrong\u003eYamato Province\u003c\/strong\u003e (modern Nara Prefecture) — the ancient heartland of Japanese sword culture and home to the revered Yamato-den traditions. During the Kamakura period, the school relocated to \u003cstrong\u003eMino Province\u003c\/strong\u003e, where it became integrated into the thriving and technically innovative Mino sword-forging world. This migration proved enormously consequential: the Yamato spiritual and technical heritage fused with the pragmatic, battle-proven Mino approach to produce a school of uncommon versatility and longevity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe school's name — meaning \u003cem\u003elife span\u003c\/em\u003e or \u003cem\u003elongevity\u003c\/em\u003e — was imbued with profound auspiciousness in samurai culture. A Jumyō sword presented as a gift carried not merely material value but a symbolic wish for the recipient's long life and enduring prosperity. This made Jumyō blades among the most sought-after ceremonial gifts exchanged between \u003cstrong\u003edaimyō households and great samurai families\u003c\/strong\u003e throughout the Edo period, elevating the school to a status that transcended mere weapon production. The tradition continued with unbroken vitality from the Kamakura period through the close of the Edo era — a remarkable testament to the school's sustained quality and cultural relevance across nearly six centuries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"school-history\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSchool History: Mino-den Tradition\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eMino-den\u003c\/strong\u003e (Mino tradition) stands as one of the \u003cem\u003egokaden\u003c\/em\u003e — the five great traditions of Japanese sword forging — and is distinguished above all by its characteristic \u003cstrong\u003etogari-ba\u003c\/strong\u003e: pointed, angular protrusions rising from the hamon that give Mino blades their instantly recognizable visual signature. Rooted in the ancient \u003cstrong\u003eYamato-den\u003c\/strong\u003e of the late Kamakura period (circa 1280–1330), the Mino tradition was transplanted southward and transformed into something distinctly its own — more dynamic, more geometrically assertive, and perfectly adapted to the demands of an age of constant warfare.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMino-den \u003cstrong\u003eflourished spectacularly during the Sengoku Jidai\u003c\/strong\u003e (Warring States period, 1467–1615), when the province's geographical position proved as decisive as its swordsmiths' skill. Mino Province stood at the crossroads of Japan's most powerful domains: \u003cstrong\u003eAkechi Mitsuhide\u003c\/strong\u003e controlled Mino itself, \u003cstrong\u003eOda Nobunaga\u003c\/strong\u003e ruled neighboring Owari, and \u003cstrong\u003eTokugawa Ieyasu\u003c\/strong\u003e governed adjacent Suruga. These titans of the age and their armies demanded swords in quantities no other tradition could match, and the Mino smiths answered with a combination of prolific output and consistently high quality. The proximity to the Kanto–Kyoto corridor — the main theater of Japan's defining conflicts — ensured that Mino blades reached every corner of the country.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy the Edo period, the battlefield urgency had given way to a new kind of demand: swords as objects of refined cultural expression, heirlooms, and ceremonial gifts. Mino-den adapted with characteristic resilience. Smiths like the Jumyō lineage maintained the tradition's technical hallmarks — the togari hamon, the crisp nie, the controlled jitetsu — while refining their aesthetic sensibilities to meet the elevated expectations of a peacetime samurai culture that prized beauty and provenance as highly as cutting ability. The tradition continued unbroken until the Meiji Restoration brought the age of the samurai sword to a close.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis Jumyō katana stands as an authentic embodiment of that enduring legacy — a blade whose very name was an invocation of life, forged within a tradition that itself proved remarkably long-lived, now offered to those who understand that a great Japanese sword is never merely a weapon but a concentrated expression of an entire civilization's highest aspirations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e","brand":"Tokyo Nihonto","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53454839087437,"sku":"KATANA68","price":3500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0578\/4567\/8248\/files\/Katana68_0032_GenerativeFill4.jpg?v=1772438285","url":"https:\/\/japansekatana.nl\/products\/antique-japanese-katana-sword-signed-jumyo-with-reddish-koshirae","provider":"Katana Sword","version":"1.0","type":"link"}