Lot 649
A JAPANESE DIPLOMATIC SWORD, PRESENTATION TATCHI.
With a 73cm blade, the Tang reads: Hasebe Kunishige Roku O' which approximates to 60th in flattery of Hasebe Kunishieg, the other side reads: Kuroda Chikuzen no kami - Kuroda Lord of Chikuzen province. Tsuka and saya covered in Samegawa. With full length bronze fukurin embellished with repousse cherry decoration. Bronze fittings engraved in relief with further cherry blossom and leaves.
Hasabe Kunishige created the Hasabe school for producing swords in the style of the second period of Soshu and Yamashiro. His swords are considered to be equal to Akihiro and Hiromitsu. He is recorded as creating the Heshikiri (the forceful cutter) which is a family heirloom of the kuroda Daimyo Ke.
Ref: Military Sword of Japan 1968-1945 yb Richard Fuller and Ron Gregory includes examples of similar mounts.
