Japanese Ōdachi (Extra-Long Katana) by Kurihara Ason Nobuhide – Dated 1860 – Jō-jō Saku Smith – Shinshintō Period (SW1855)

Japan, Edo period (Bakumatsu), dated Man’en 1 (1860)  A magnificent and exceptionally large Japanese sword by Kurihara Ason Nobuhide (栗原朝臣信秀), one of the foremost master swordsmiths of the late Edo period and ranked Jō-jō saku (上々作) for superior workmanship in the Fujishiro and NBTHK classifications.  This impressive blade measures approximately 30 inches (76.2 cm) in nagasa, firmly placing it in the rare and highly sought-after ōdachi / great katana category. Swords of this length and quality are uncommon, particularly when signed, dated, and preserved in healthy condition.  The tang is signed:  Kurihara Ason Nobuhide and dated: Man’en gannen nigatsu kichijitsu (An auspicious day, second month, 1860)  Kurihara Nobuhide was a prominent Shinshintō master working in Edo and a follower of the Suishinshi Masahide revival tradition. He is widely respected for producing blades of refined classical form, excellent steel quality, and outstanding cutting performance, and is also recorded as Ryō-wazamono (superior cutting ability).  The blade displays an elegant long-sweeping tori-zori curvature, refined proportions for its exceptional length, and a well-formed chū-kissaki. The hamon is a graceful notare-midare / gunome-midare pattern with a clear nioiguchi, showing fine control and consistency throughout. The jihada is tight and well forged, typical of high-level Shinshintō work.  The sword is housed in its original shirasaya mounts for preservation and is in very good polish, showing no fatal flaws.  This sword originates from the renowned Dr. Guthrie collection, one of the notable private American collections of Japanese swords formed in the mid-20th century. The blade was previously accompanied by NBTHK authentication papers identifying the smith as Jō-jō saku; these papers were regrettably lost by the prior owner, though the workmanship and signature fully support the attribution. The blade is an excellent candidate for NBTHK re-submission.  Large, signed, dated Shinshintō blades by top-ranked smiths are increasingly scarce on the market, and examples of this size and quality are rarely encountered.  An exceptional opportunity to acquire a museum-quality Japanese sword by a master craftsman at the twilight of the samurai era.