Tachi by Kanemitsu of Osafune, Bizen

Kanemitsu of Osafune was a master craftsman who flourished in Osafune, Bizen during the Nanboku-chō Period. He is said to have been the grandson of Nagamitsu and the son of Kagemitsu. While Kanemitsu's blades display the characteristic large, turbulent hamon and magnificent sugata of the Nanboku-chō Period, they simultaneously exhibit a unique beauty that fuses the refined techniques inherited from his ancestors. This tachi has a blade length of approximately 82 centimeters and possesses a magnificent sugata characteristic of the Nanboku-chō Period, with a wide blade, thin spine, and pronounced curvature. The hamon displays a distinctive pattern known as 'Kanemitsu-midare,' characterized by intensely turbulent, triangular gunome. Golden lines (kinsuji) and sand lines (sunagashi) are prominently visible throughout the blade, and the jigane exhibits a powerful itamehada grain pattern interwoven in layers. The nakago bears a full signature reading 'Kanemitsu of Osafune, Bizen,' providing the highest level of authenticity as a signed blade. Multiple blades by Kanemitsu are recorded in the later sword compendium 'Kyōhō Meibutsu-chō,' demonstrating that he was highly regarded as a master swordsmith of his time. This tachi is designated as an Important Cultural Property and, as a piece in the Tokyo National Museum's collection, represents the finest essence of the Japanese sword.