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Lot Essay
The even curve indicates that this cut-down sword dates from the Nanbokucho period (14th century). There is too little remaining of the gold lacquer attribution to identify with certainty which of the Hon'ami family of sword appraisers cut the sword down and made the inscription. The attribution to Masamune is incorrect, but it was quite usual for swords by Masamune's pupils to be mistaken for the work of the master during the Edo period. The fact that the inscription was in gold lacquer rather than gold inlay suggests that the sword was originally not signed. The u-no-kubi [cormorant neck] shape is often found on swords of the Yamato tradition, and the presence of masame hada close to the cutting edge further indicates a Yamato influence. This, together with the hamon, suggests the work of Saburo Kaneuji, who, originally from Yamato, studied under Masamune at Kamakura, and later went to Shizu in Mino province, to become later regarded as the founder of the Mino tradition, or another of his close school at Naoe village.