Jumyo wakizashi with fine koshirae - NBTHK / NTHK-NPO certificates ~ www.samuraisword.com

The Jumyo (寿命) school has its origins from Yamato (Nara prefecture) and moved to Mino province (Gifu prefecture) in the Kamakura period (1185-1333). The tradition continued for centuries, right up until the end of the Edo period in 1868. The main line separated in the 17th century into the Ishikiri and Kondo lineages. In addition, there were also the Owari-Jumyo. This line resulted from a migration of Mino smiths to Owari following Ieyasu Tokugawa’s defeat of the Imagawa clan. The Shodai of the Owari-Jumyo, Tango no kami Fujiwara Jumyo, was also the first in the Ishikiri lineage. The Owari-Jumyo lasted five generations (1579-1804).

The name Jumyo has been thought as very auspicious for longevity and used for gift and many swordsmiths used the same name for generations. It was believed that those who possessed a Jumyo blade were blessed with good fortune and longevity. Jumyo swords had a deserved reputation as wazamono blades with very good cutting ability. Interestingly, a superstition arose that a cut from a Jumyo sword would never heal. Presumably this was a comment on both the cutting ability of this school's swords and their perceived auspicious nature.

This wakizashi has been attributed to "Shinto Jumyo" by the NBTHK, Hozon. Shinto Jumyo refers to a smith known as "Mino no Kami Jumyo" who worked around 1661 AD. His works were rated as Chu-jo saku. The koshirae received kantei-sho with score of 80 of 100, permitting the koshirae to be eligible for the yearly Yushu shinsa (considered to be the equivalent of NBTHK's Juyo shinsa) held only in Japan. The tsuba received Kantei-sho with score of 74 of 100.

Nagasa (cutting edge length): 38.5 cm Sori (curvature): 3 bu Motohaba (width): 2.7 cm

Certificate #1: NBTHK Hozon (a sword Worthy of Conservation by the Society for the Preservation of the Japan Art Sword),

Certificates #2 (koshirae), 3 (tsuba): NTHK-NPO Kanteisho (a sword’s koshirae and tsuba designated as Important by the Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Sword) koshirae scored - 80 of 100, tsuba scored - 74 of 100 (see shinsa worksheets linked further below) Note: Koshirae is eligible for the yearly Yushu shinsa held only in Japan.

koshirae: kodachi-koshirae with black ishime kizami-saya, tsuka: white same, golden brown hishimaki wrapping, fuchi- kashira: signed "Kiryûken Yoshimori" (起龍軒美盛), gold and shakudô sogetsugi, wickerwork and sayagata decoration, menuki: shakudô and suaka in katachibori, iroe, motif ginko, kozuka: en in suite, suaka, back side gilded, sayagata decoration, Other: uragawara, kurigata, kojiri en suite with other fittings, KANTEI: late Edo period, 80/100 points

tsuba: mei "Nobuie" (信家), mokkô-gata, two hitsu-ana (one plugged with shakudô), iron, migaki-ji, sukinokoshi-mimi, kikkô pattern as main decoration, kebori KANTEI: Kaga, mid-Edo period 74/100 points