Newly received signed Shimosaka yari (sasaho-zukuri), done as a Tonbogiri utushimono. This is almost identically sized to the famous sasaho yari Tonbogiri. This is an absolutely beautiful piece, well executed and bright hamon and wonderful flowing itame hada mixed with masame. The attached photo shows this Shimosaka (with red lacquer) side by side with Tonbogiri.

Per Markus Sesko, a bit of reference information below.

“I don´t want to leave out the most famous work of Masazane, the yari Tonbôgiri (蜻蛉切). Honda Tadakatsu (本多忠勝, 1548-1610), another Tokugawa-shitennô, wore this yari at the Battle of Hitokotozaka (一言坂の戦い) in Genki three (元亀, 1572) and forced with it his way through the line between the enemy and the allies by wielding it overhead. It has to be mentioned that the shaft of the spear was 6 m long! (The blade itself has a nagasa of 43,8 cm.) According to transmission, once a dragonfly (Jap. tonbô) tried to land on the yari but was cut in two halves and that is why it got the nickname „Tonbôgiri“ (lit. „dragonfly cutter“).”

Comparison to Masazane, yari Tonbôgiri;
Masazane nagasa of 43.8 cm. or 17 1/4”, style, Sasaho yari
Shimosaka nagasa of 42.5 cm. or 16 3/4”, style, Sasaho yari

This is an excellent Tonbogiri utushimono koto yari, made in the Muromachi period. It is in polish, with a beautiful grained shirasaya. Two NBTHK kanteisho.