* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Kijinmaru Kunishige
鬼神丸国重
Also known as: Ikeda Kijinmaru Kunishige
Description
Kijinmaru Kunishige is a katana forged by the Edo-period smith known as Ikeda Kijinmaru Kunishige, who worked in the Ikeda district of Settsu Province (present-day Ikeda City, Osaka Prefecture). His work is classified as jōsaku (superior quality) within the new-sword (shintō) era and has been awarded the designation of gyōmono (a cutting-proven blade).
The smith was originally from Bitchu Province and was born the son of a swordsmith named Yasaemon Kunimitsu of the Mizuta school. He traveled to Edo to become a pupil of the second Kawachi-no-kami Kunisuke, then journeyed to Akita and Satsuma before settling in Ikeda in Settsu Province, adopting the surname "Ikeda" and signing his work "Settsu-jū Ikeda Kijinmaru Kunishige." Dated inscriptions on surviving works span from Kanbun 1 (1661) to around Enpō 1 (1673), indicating a productive career of approximately twelve years during which he produced numerous masterpieces.
His signature style features a dramatic ō-midare (large irregular) hamon with strong nie and exceptionally vigorous activity throughout the blade and jigane. The jigane shows itame- and mokume-hada with abundant ji-nie and fine chikei. The smith's formal given name is believed to have been Chōbei, and the sobriquet "Kijinmaru" (demon-god round) is thought to reflect the ferocious energy and supernatural intensity conveyed by his tempering patterns.
Kijinmaru Kunishige is widely recognized today in part because one of his blades is traditionally identified as the personal sword of Saitō Hajime, captain of the third unit of the Shinsengumi. Saitō survived the Ikedaya Incident, the Battle of Toba-Fushimi, and lived well into the Meiji and Taishō eras, reportedly describing this Kunishige blade as "the sword that saved my life."
Legends & Stories
Because the smith's name contains the characters for "demon-god" (鬼神, kijin), it has long been believed that his blades harbor the spiritual power of demonic forces. According to tradition, on the night Ikeda Kijinmaru Kunishige first tempered a blade with his signature ō-midare hamon, the flames in the forge turned an eerie blue-white color and illuminated the entire workshop, and within the flames the outline of a demonic face briefly appeared. The smith took this as a sign of divine protection from the kijin, and from that point forward resolved to temper all his blades with the fierce ō-midare hamon. The tradition surrounding the blade associated with Saitō Hajime holds that on the night of the Ikedaya Incident (1864), during the ferocious close-quarters fighting, Saitō's sword absorbed blow after blow from enemy blades without breaking, while the enemies' swords shattered. In later life, Saitō reportedly said: "I believe the reason that blade did not break that night was that a demon-god's power dwelt within it." Additionally, multiple owners of blades bearing the Kijinmaru signature reportedly witnessed the sword vibrating or making a faint sound while in its scabbard. Warriors who interpreted this as a premonition of battle gave rise to the legend that "the Kijinmaru senses the approach of combat and alerts its owner in order to protect them."