Wakasa Masamune
若狭正宗
Also known as: Meibutsu Wakasa Masamune; unsigned Masamune valued at 1,000 gold pieces
Description
The Name and the Blade
Wakasa Masamune is an unsigned katana attributed to Masamune, the smith who brought the Soshu tradition to its peak, measuring roughly 68.5 cm in blade length. Very few blades bearing Masamune's own signature survive; the great majority of his extant work, including this one, is authenticated as his by the Honami family's traditional connoisseurship rather than by a signature on the tang.
The Honami Family's Appraisal
The blade was authenticated by the Honami family as a work of Masamune and is said to have received an origami (certificate of appraisal) valuing it at 1,000 pieces of gold, placing it among the most highly rated of Masamune's unsigned attributions. Its style foregrounds the nie-deki (nie-based temper) that is the hallmark of the Soshu tradition, and it is regarded as an important benchmark piece in Masamune scholarship.
Provenance
Tradition holds that Wakasa Masamune passed through the Mori family before coming into the hands of Tokugawa Ieyasu, and was then held by Ikeda Terumasa, the lord of Himeji, before descending to the Tokugawa shogunal house. It was presented to the Imperial Household in the Meiji era and has since been kept as Gyobutsu, an item of the Imperial Collection. It is today held at the Museum of the Imperial Collections, Sannomaru Shozokan, within the grounds of the Imperial Palace.
Designation and Current Status
As Gyobutsu, the blade falls outside the scope of designation as a National Treasure or Important Cultural Property under the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties, yet it is regarded as holding the highest standing among blades handed down within the Imperial House. Public viewing opportunities are limited, though the blade has been shown in special exhibitions at Sannomaru Shozokan.
Among the Tenka Sansaku
Masamune is ranked, together with Awataguchi Yoshimitsu of Yamashiro and Go Yoshihiro of Etchu, as one of the "Tenka Sansaku," the three supreme masters of the Japanese sword. Wakasa Masamune is counted among his representative works and stands as one of the pieces that best illustrates the summit of his art.
Legends & Stories
The origin of the name "Wakasa" is not definitively recorded, but as an unsigned Masamune attribution carrying the exceptional valuation of 1,000 pieces of gold, the blade has been spoken of among sword connoisseurs since the Edo period as a piece apart. Since its presentation to the Imperial Household it has rarely been seen by the public as Gyobutsu, and this very rarity has only enhanced its reputation.