15/11/2023
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▪️JUYO Token signed by Motohira
Hello, world! Thank you for checking our daily post. Today, we would like to show you another JUYO appraised antique Katana.
This blade was signed by Satsuyo Shi Motohira (薩陽士元平) in the second year of the Tenmei ear (1782). Motohira is one of the most renowned swordsmiths in Satsuma domain (Today’s Kagoshima prefecture) during the late Edo period. Satsuyo Shi means Samurai who served Satsuma domain.
He was born in October, the first year of the Enkyo era (1744), as the first son of Oku Motonao in Satsuma domain. His birth name was Oku Kouzaemon. It was often the case with many swordsmiths that they used different makers’ names from their real names.
In his early career, he learned sword-forging techniques from his father, and when he was 38 years old, he became a Hanko (藩工), who exclusively forged swords for a specific clan.
This fact suggests that his craftsmanship was widely recognized in the domain. Furthermore, he received Yamato no Kami in the first year of the Kansei era (1789). Kami is an honorable official title given by the emperor to highly skilled swordsmiths. It is said that he trained many swordsmiths, including Bizen Sukehira. Many of his apprentices traveled to Satsuma domain from a very long distance. We assume his sword-forging techniques were very refined and appreciated among Japanese swordsmiths. Motohira was great at forging blades in Soshu Den tradition.
More information is available from the link below.
https://www.samuraimuseum.jp/shop/product/antique-japanese-sword-katana-signed-by-motohiranbthk-juyo-token-certificate/
