Yasutsugu III
Early Edo Period (17th Century)
Donated by Shibuya Mamoru
Yasutsugu III of Edo (date of birth and death unknown) was a craftsman in the service of the Edo Shogunate. The first craftsman to bear the Yasutsugu name made swords for both Tokugawa Ieyasu and Hidetada, and was granted the use of the character “Yasu” for his name, as well as the right to use the Mallow crest.
The inscription on this sword reads “(Mallow crest) sword made from foreign steel by Yasutsugu”, but the core has been polished down (in other words, the sword blade has been cut down to a shorter size), leading us to believe that the full inscription read “(Mallow crest) sword made from foreign steel by Yasutsugu of Musashi Province, Edo.” This inscription was only ever used by Yasutsugu III.