Sengo Masashige "Falling Snow" Sword

^{Sengo Muramasa School}Muramasa's grandson See Muramasa School

Mune-yaki drifts in rivers through the Monouchi
that frosts the whole back-ridge down to the Habaki

News: The Falling Snow Sword has recently become recognized as the only dated example. The Falling Snow has been termed the "missing link" for Sengo scholarship. This important discovery clarifies, for the first time, the whole of the Sengo School. The new and correct structure of the Sengo School, based on the inclusion of the Falling Snow sword, is to be published in new articles in Japan and the U.S.

THIS is what collecting is about!

In Ji-dai Shira-saya with old,
Samurai period Saya-gaki describing
the maker and school and other
addendums.
Full polish and
Large 4-Seals Yoshikawa Appraisal
____________

Nagasa: 53cm
Nakago: 13.5cm

Very well-knit KO-MOKUME stands like a mosaic
in harmonious patterns.
Grouped OBUSA GUNOME reach
through Snow Nie to the SHINOGI.
KO-NIE HOTSURE and SUNAGASHI
sweep across icy Dai-Bo heads on this wide, undulating HAMON.
MUNE-YAKI has Sunagashi-strewn Tobi-yaki and falling fingers stretching down the back.

The Blade is Solid in the Hand

Omote:
HON-SAKU KASHU (KAWACHI)
IBARADA-GUN I-DEGUCHI MASASHIGE

DAISHO SHINO KOSETSU

"Falling Snow"

Ura:
BUN-ROKU NI-NEN
NOSHIRO BEI-JO

We see from the statements of the Nakago
that this sword was part of a Dai-sho and
that the extreme beauty attained throughout
its DAI-BO heads and cascading MUNEYAKI
caused its stated name,
Shinogi Ko-Setsu "Falling Snow..."
__________

"Falling Snow Sword"

Created as a Daisho in 1593
by the head of the Muramasa School.
For what figure in society, at the very
height of Hideyoshi's Momoyama world,
was such a Dai-sho made?

The combination of superior work
in the HAMON and in its extraordinarily fine HADA, and yet again in the setting of the MEI allow me to easily state that this is one of the finest swords I have ever handled

^Sho-shin