UNSIGNED, NAMBOKUCHO PERIOD (14TH CENTURY)

Details

A Soden Bizen School Katana
Unsigned, Nambokucho Period (14th Century)
Sugata [configuration]: honzukuri, iori-mune, toriizori, o-kissaki

Kitae [forging pattern]: closely packed itame with jinie

Hamon [tempering pattern]: gunome-choji of nie, yo, midare utsuri

Boshi [tip]: midare-boshi with togari

Horimono [carvings]: bohi on both sides

Nakago [tang]: o-suriage, katte-sagari, three holes

Habaki [collar]: single, copper-gilt

In shirasaya [plain wood scabbard]

Nagasa [length from tip to beginning of tang]: 71cm.

Sori [curvature]: 1.9cm.

Motohaba [width at start of tempered edge]: 3cm.

Sakihaba [width before tip]: 2.4cm.

Special notice

VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price plus buyer's premium

Lot Essay

This is a fine quality Soden Bizen sword with an attribution on the registration certificate to Kanemitsu, and a note that it was in 1953 the property of a Mr Kajima. Kanemitsu is said to have been the son of Kagemitsu, and one of the pupils of Masamune.
There are believed to have been two generations of Kanemitsu in Osafune during the middle Nambokucho Period. In the Bizen tradition the hamon can vary, so that suguha, notareba, and gunome of various forms is found. The blade has clear characteristics of Kanemitsu, in particular the pointed midare-komi boshi.

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