Great Japanese Tanto in koshirea with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Paper. Signature Masashige saku(Sengo) Sayagaki Dr. Kanzan Sayagaki. Ise koku Masashige, Tensho era, length about 30 cm in summer 1963. Sue Koto Jyojyo saku Ise This Shigemasa saku(Sengo) belongs to Jyojyo saku ranking. It is one of highest rankings The blade has been polished. Habaki Gold foiled double Habaki. Blade length 25. 6 . Era Muromachi period, Tenbun era (1532-1555) . Shape Wide and rather thick blade with Saki Zori. Jitetsu Itame Hada well-grained with Jinie attached. The Jigane is beautiful. Hamon Nie Deki, square Gunome Midare. The Hamon is uniform on both sides. In Ha, there are many Sunagashi and Tobiyaki. Kissaki is of a round shape. Special feature: Tradition says that Masashige is the son of the legendary Muramasa. His blades from Masashige are very alike to Muramasa’s blades. As is the Nakago shape His blades are slightly less perfect than Muramasa’s. Because he had to help his master Muramasa to make a sword. This blade looks like a Muramasa blade. There are many Sunagashi and Tobiyaki. In the past, 10 pieces of Masashige were designated as NBTHK Juyo Token. This is also possible for this blade. koshirae Fuchikashira Kojiri Shakudo. Saya Black and dark brown Saya with Inro Kizami. Menuki dragonfly is engraved in gold colour. Kozuka Silver, dragonfly and butterfly are engraved. Signature Naomitsu (Late Edo period) . Kogatana signature Mino kami Fujiwara Masatsune. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Paper Masashige was the son / grandson of the legendary Muramasa. He worked forging swords with his master Muramasa who was the son of Kanemura, originally from the Akasaka Mino Domain. He then later relocated to Kuwana in the Ise domain where his Sengo school of swordmaking flourished in the Ise prefecture, which is also one of the most sacred religious sites in Japan. The 1st generation Masashige was active in the Eisho period (1504-1520) and the 2nd generation was active during Tenbun (1532-1555) Muramasa and Masashige played an important role in supplying powerful clans and warlords with high-quality swords. Muramasa and Masashige blades are renowned for their extraordinary sharpness and cutting ability and were highly sought-after and regarded by samurai. Apart from Tokugawa Ieyasu, who outlawed the ownership of Muramasa blades as he had lost many friends and relatives to Muramasa swords and even cut himself badly with a Muramasa blade. Many Muramasa blades had their signatures erased or altered for this reason, to disguise them. Enemies of the Tokugawa would often use Muramasa blades against the Tokugawa. Muramasa himself was said to have a violent nature and an ill-balanced mind which it was believed to have passed into the swords he forged. His swords were popularly believed to hunger for blood.