UNSIGNED, NAMBOKUCHO PERIOD (14TH CENTURY)

Although not identified as the work of a particular smith, the blade has Soshu tradition characteristics found on a number of branch schools. Similar hamon are found also on early Yamato work, but in this case the clear itame hada with jinie, with masame hada close to the edge of the blade, might rather suggest late Nanbokucho work like that of Nao Shizu, or perhaps the Echizen group such as the Uda.