Beautiful long tachi by the headmaster of the Minatogawa Shrine, Masataka. While the Yasukuni shrine smiths often followed the style of Rai Kunitoshi, the Minatogawa Shrine smiths seems to have modeled their work more on that of the Ichimonji school. This one certainly is a fine Bizen utushi-mono, with a deep and graceful koshi-sori and a active gunome-choji hamon. The kissaki is strong and approaches the ikubi-kissaki shape. The jigane is stunning, with much ji-nie. A great example of the quality of work in the top gendai smiths of the post-war era.

MASATAKA (正孝), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Tottori – “Hōki no Kuni Moriwaki Masataka” (伯耆国森脇正孝), “Masataka” (正孝), real name Moriwaki Kaname (森脇要), born December 7th 1911, son of Moriwaki Kin´ichirō (森脇金一郎), he signed first with Morimitsu (森光), in 1936 he entered the Yasukuni forge and studied there under Kajiyama Yasunori (梶山靖徳), Ikeda Yasumitsu (池田靖光), and Kotani Yasunori (小谷靖憲), he received the Orders of the Sacred Treasure (zuihōshō, 瑞宝章) fourth class, he also worked at the Kōbe Minatogawa Jinja Kikusui Sword Forging Association (神戸湊川神社菊水鍛刀会) and made kikusui-tō, kihin no retsu (Akihide) – Markus Sesko

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