Wakizashi Short Sword Inscription: Sanshū jū Mitsunaga

During the Edo period, a wakizashi, a short sword, together with a long sword, formed a matched pair worn by samurai. They were also carried by people of other social classes.
The curvature of Japanese swords varies by period and is an important indicator of stylistic change. The relatively shallow curvature of this blade reflects a characteristic associated with the early Edo period (late seventeenth century). The blade is carved with two parallel grooves, a feature known as futasuji-hi.

The swordsmith Mitsunaga, who forged this wakizashi, was active in the late Edo period, from the late eighteenth to the early nineteenth century. He studied sword-making techniques in Osaka before returning to Sanuki Province (present-day Kagawa Prefecture), where he entered the service of the Takamatsu domani. Records in the Edo period indicate that Mitsunaga was summoned to Takamatsu Castle, where he forged swords in the presence of the domain lord.

This wakizashi has been handed down together with its koshirae (mountings). The koshirae bears the Takamatsu Matsudaira family crest, the maru ni mitsu-aoi (three hollyhock leaves within a circle).