Excellent Shinshinto katana by Iwamoto Moritoshi. Moritoshi has a great lineage and was a student of the famous smith Chounsai Tsunatoshi (see below). Moritoshi born in 1802, began working as a blacksmith, then in 1837 he traveled to Edo where he entered the Mon of Choshu Tsunatoshi. Tsunatoshi was a student of the highly important smith Suishinsi Masahide who was known for being the father of the “Sword Revival Movement” or Fukkoto.

Tsunatoshi thought highly of Moritoshi. So highly, he sent his son the Nidai Tsunatoshi to Choshu to take his apprenticeship under Moritoshi.

Moritoshi developed his own style and deviated considerably from the other members of the Tsunatoshi Mon. He mostly forged a uniform Gunome opposed to the Bizen Choji midare Tsunatoshi was famous for. Moritoshi finished his nakago in Kiri Yasuri instead of the Kesho and forged a Katasogi nakojiri unlike the iriyama-gata used by the other members of the Tsunatoshi Mon.

Katasogi nakagojiri, similar to the standard Iriyama-gata yet is more pronounced. This style is also known as Kashu Nakojiri as many Kaga (Kashu) smiths used this nakago-jiri.

The term Katasogi may be translated as “one side cut away” or “half removed tang”.  (see photos).

The sword is housed in a Type 98 Gunto koshirae.

REFERENCES:                                                             

Hawley’s 15pts. (MOR 935), pg. 500

Nihonto Koza Vol. 5 pages 116, 293                                                                                                  

Fujishiros pg. 464

Nihonto Zuikan Shinto vol. pg. 779   

Shishinto Taikan pg. 661                                                                                                         

Sesko’s, Swordsmiths A-Z., pg 670

Courtesy of Fujishiros:

MORITOSHI IWAMOTO [GENJI 1864 SUÔ] SHINSHINTÔ CHÛSAKU 

He is called Iwamoto Seiemon, and was a pupil of Chôunsai Tsunatoshi. 

Signature: BÔSHÛ IWAKUNI JÛ IWAMOTO SEIUEMON UNSHI MORITOSHI 

Courtesy of Sesko’s, Swordsmiths A-Z:

MORITOSHI (盛俊), 1st gen., Kaei (嘉永, 1848-1854), Suō – “Bōshū Iwakuni.jū Iwamoto Sei´emon Unshi Moritoshi” (防州岩国住岩本清右衛門運司盛俊), “Bōshū Iwakuni-jū Seiryūken Moritoshi kore o tsukuru” (防州岩国住青龍軒盛俊造之), “Seiryūken Moritoshi” (青龍軒盛俊), “Bōshū Iwakuni-han Seiryūken Moritoshi kore o tsukuru” (防州岩国藩青龍軒盛俊造之), “Tōto ni oite Seiryūshi Moritoshi” (於東都青龍子盛俊), real name Iwamoto Seí´emon (岩本清右衛門), he was originally an armorer under Iwai Takesuke Morimasa (岩井武介林当)from Iwami province, in Tenpō five (天保, 1834) he was granted the family name Iwamoto (岩本) and he entered on the 21st day of the tenth month Tenpō eight (1837) an apprenticeship under Chōunsai Tsunatoshi (長運斎綱俊), later he studied also under Koyama Munetsugu (固山宗次), he worked for the Iwakuni fief (岩国藩) of Suō province which was ruled by the Kikkawa family (吉川), he used the gō Seiryūken (青龍軒) and Seiryūshi (青龍子) and died on the 25th day of the fifth month Keiō three (慶応, 1867) at the age of 66, chū-saku

TSUNATOSHI (綱俊), 1st gen., Tenpō (天保, 1830-1844), Musashi – “Katō Hachirō Tsunatoshi kore o tsukuru” (加藤八郎綱俊造之), “Katō Tsunatoshi tsukuru” (加藤綱俊造), “Tōto ni oite Katō Hachirō Tsunatoshi kore o tsukuru” (於東都加藤八郎綱俊造之, “made by Katō Hachirō Tsunatoshi in the eastern capital [= Edo]”), “Ushū– 1192 – Yonezawa-jū Katō Chōunsai Tsunatoshi” (羽州米沢住加藤長運斎綱俊), “Chōunsai Tsunatoshi” (長運斎綱俊), “Chōunsai Tsunatoshi tsukuru” (長運斎綱俊造), “Efu ni oite Katō Chōunsai Tsunatoshi” (於江府 加藤長運斎綱俊, “made by Katō Chōunsai Tsunatoshi in Edo”), real name Katō Hachirō (加藤八郎), he came originally from Dewa´s Yonezawa (米沢) and was like his father Katō Kunihide (国秀) a student of Suishinshi Masahide (水心子正秀), he moved to Edo during the Bunsei era (文政, 1818-1830) where he worked in the residence of the Uesugi family (上杉), the daimyō of Yonezawa, around the first year of Ansei (安政, 1854) he left his gō Chōunsai to his son Koretoshi (是俊)and changed his pseudonym to Chōjusai (長寿斎), he died on the fifth day of the twelfth month Bunkyū three (文久,1863) in the Uesugi Edo residence at the age of 66, like his brother Tsunahide (綱英) he too hardened a tōran-midare but his best works are in the Bizen tradition, the jigane is a dense ko-itame with ji-nie which tends to muji, the hamon is a ko-chōji-midare or ko-midare in nioi-deki with tight nioiguchi, the bōshi is a smaller midare-komi, the jihada can also be a dense mokume which tends to muji but which also show mixed-in ō hada, blades are generally rather long, have a deep sori, and a thick kasane, jō-saku.

This sword is in excellent condition and polish.

$5500 plus S/H and any additional associated fees (pp, wire, etc.)