A gendaito, signed Horii Tanetsugu saku (made by Horii Tanetsugu, [born in 1923]), Japan, dated Showa yonjuichi nen kugatsu kichijitsu (an auspicious day in the 10th month, 1966)

Tanetsugu is a third-generation member of the distinguished Horii sword making family. His father, the master smith Horii Toshihide (1886-1943), was widely celebrated, and his elder brother, Horii Nobuhide (Masamitsu, born in 1920), worked beside him for many years at the Zuisen forge. The family’s roots extend to the revivalist movement of the late Edo period: their ancestor Horii Taneyoshi (1821-1903) studied under Taikei Naotane (1778-1857) and Gassan Sadayoshi (1800-1870), both of whom were students of Suishinshi Masahide (died in 1827), the leading figure of the Shinshinto era of sword making. The Horii lineage is known for their elegant and classical Bizen school aesthetic. creating swords based primarily on nioi-deki structures. The jigane is a tightly forged wood grain surface (ko-itame), displaying a dense, even surface reminiscent of early Koto workmanship. The tempering pattern (hamon) is a lively and well-controlled clove-shaped choji pattern, brightly hardened with a crisp nioi-guchi. The boshi shows midare-komi turning back in a small rounded ko-maru.  

Born on February 24, 1923, in Muroran, Hokkaido, Tanetsugu began his training at the Zuisen forge after graduating from the Muroran Middle School in 1940.. He first exhibited in the Shin-saku Nihonto [Newly Forged Japanese Sword] Exhibition in 1942. In 1952, Tanetsugu forged a commemorative sword marking the signing of the Peace Treaty. He received his official swordsmith’s license on October 6, 1956, and from 1958 onward became a frequent exhibitor, earning numerous honuors including one Excellence Award, four Encouragement Awards, and twelve Merit Awards. In 1985 he performed three public forging demonstrations at the Japanese Government Historical Pavilion during the International Science and Technology Exposition.