* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Tachi Signed Muramasa, Tenbun 12 (Kuwana Sōsha)
太刀 銘 勢州桑名郡益田庄藤原朝臣村正作（桑名宗社）
Also known as: Muramasa Votive Tachi of Kuwana Shrine
Description
Overview
This is a pair of tachi signed Muramasa and dated the fifth month of Tenbun 12 (1543). They were dedicated to the Kuwana and Nakatomi shrines, which belong to Kuwana Sōsha, and Mie Prefecture designated them a Tangible Cultural Property in 2016. Documentary records on Muramasa are scarce, so works with a clear purpose and date like these are valued as reference pieces.
Signature and Style
The signature reads "Seishū Kuwana-gun Masuda-no-shō Fujiwara-no-ason Muramasa saku, Tenbun 12, fifth month." A typical Muramasa signature is just the two characters of his name, and this is said to be the longest known. Prefectural documents give blade lengths of about 75.9 cm and 75.8 cm. Features typical of Muramasa, such as a hamon matching on both sides, were confirmed after the polishing described below. Two tachi mountings (koshirae) are designated as accompaniments.
Dedication and Preservation
The swords are explained as made by Muramasa himself for dedication to the two shrines. During the Second World War they were coated in black lacquer against rust and evacuated, and for a long time their blade surface could not be seen. In October 2019, as a project commemorating the Emperor's enthronement ceremony, they were polished for restoration and the hamon emerged. They are now deposited at the Kuwana City Museum.
Note
The "cursed blade" reputation attached to Muramasa is a later tradition and has no bearing on the designation or assessment of these swords.
Legends & Stories
Said to have been forged by Muramasa himself as a dedication to two Kuwana shrines; lacquered and evacuated in wartime, its hamon emerged after polishing in 2019.