Details
A MINO SHIZU KATANA
NAMBOKUCHO PERIOD (CIRCA 1340), WITH INLAID GOLD SIGNATURE, KANEUJI
Configuration (sugata): with longitudinal ridge line (shinogi-zukuri), shallow peaked back (iori-mune) and medium point (chu-kissaki); length (nagasa): 2 shaku, 2 sun, 9.5 bu (incorrectly entered as 3 bu on the sayagaki) (69.7cm.); curvature (sori): very shallow koshi-zori of 0.9cm.; increase in width of blade (fumbari): 0.6cm.; carving (horimono): two narrow grooves (futasujibi) on each side, terminating in pointed and squared ends (kaki-nagashi and kaku-dome) deep inside the tang.
Forging pattern (jihada): wood grain (itame) intermixed with masame and dusted with some scattered ji-nie.
Tempering pattern (hamon): undulations (gonome) mixed with some ko-notare in nie; centered mainly in the area near the monouchi are areas of 'swept sands' (sunagashi); elsewhere there are 'legs' (ashi) and yo.
Point (boshi): small and rounded (ko-maru) with some hakikake.
Tang (nakago). Shape (keitai): o-suriage; file marks (yasurime): slanted (katte-sagari); end (nakagojiri): squared (kirijiri); holes (mekugi-ana): three; signature (mei): gold inlay (kin-zogan), Kaneuji; on the reverse, Chokon (Sugawara Chokon Kiwame) with kao.
Shirasaya with attestation signed Kunzan (Homma Junji) and Iga Norishige.
Accompanied by a juyo token certificate issued by the N.B.T.H.K., dated Showa 50 (1975).
