Katana, Shirasaya, Koshirae

[ Signature ] omote : no signature　ura : -

[ Size ] Blade length 69.8cm (2 shaku 3 sun 0 bu 3 rin), sori 1.6cm (5 bu 2 rin), moto-haba 3.05cm, moto-kasane 0.68cm, saki-haba 1.94 cm, saki-kasane 0.46 cm, mekugi-ana(hole) 1, blade weight 712.5g, shirasaya length 97cm, koshirae length 106cm

[ Province ] Mutsu "陸奥"

[ Feature ]
Form : Shinogi-zukuri. Iori-mune. Both mihaba and kasane are ordinal. There are some differences of width between moto-haba and saki-haba. A little high shinogi-ji attached. Shnogi-haba is wide. Moderate sori attached. Chû-kissaki extended form.
Nakago : Ubu. Yasurimes are suji-kais and keshô. Saki is iri-yama-gata. One hole.
Jigane : Madame-hada well grained. Rich jinie attached.
Hamon : Sugu-ha. A fwe notare pattern mixed. Gunomes mixed. Ko-ashis appeared. Ha-buchi shows some changes. Kui-chigai-bas and nijyû-bas taste "ha"s mixed. Nie attached well. Kin-sens and sunagashis appeared. Mune has some tempered points.
Boushi : It runs in sugu. Shape is ko-maru. Saki is haki-kake.

Handwriting on saya "鞘書" : "山城大掾藤原国包　但無銘　刃長二尺参寸有之　昭和癸丑年春吉日　寒山誌(花押)"(Yamashiro-daijyô Fujiwara Kunikane, no signature though, blade length two shakus three "sun"s. Auspicious day spring Shôwa mizunoto-ushi year (Shôwa 48(1973)))

Koshirae : kawari-nuri-zaya uchigatana-koshirae ; tsuba : Heian-jyô design of Chinese bellflower and arabesque (iron, brass, inlay); a pair of menuki : desing of chrysanthemum (shaku-dô, karachi-bori); a pair of fuchi-gashira : design of a shower of cherry blossoms (shaku-dô, ishime-ji, taka-bori, gold iroe) "変わり塗鞘打刀拵 : 平安城桔梗唐草図鐔(鉄地真鍮象嵌)、枝菊図目貫(赤銅容彫)、桜花散図縁頭(赤銅石目地高彫金色絵)"

[ Highlight ]
First generation Kunikane "国包" was born at Kokubun Wakabayashi, Miyagi county in Ô-shû in Bunroku "文禄" 1(1592). He was called a minor branch of Hôshô Gorô in Yamato province. He was aiming for original old Hôshô, specifically sugu-ha which mixed kui-chiga-ba and ni-jyû-ha as his ideal swords. He was a officially hired swordsmith of Sendai Date clan. It was said that in Keichô"慶長" 19(1614), he was ordered to go Miyako, then he learned under Ecchû-no-kami Masatoshi "越中守正俊". He was confered Yamashiro-no-Daijyô "山城大掾" in Kanei "寛永" 3(1626). He became a man with a shaven head, called as Yôkei "用恵". In Shôhô "正保" 2(1646), he transfered the headship of the family to his heir Kichiemon "吉右衛門". He continued swords creation. His deceased year was Kanbun "寛文" 4 (1664), 73 years old. This sword seemed to be created by second generation Yamashiro-no-kami Kunikane. Both ji and ha are so clear.

[ Conditions ]
There is tiny chip at yokote-shita. There are some small scrathes and pale foggy part but they are not preventing the appreciation, nor obvious. It maintains excellent conditions in general.

[ Attachments ]
Habaki (suaka-ji, gold foiled, single), shirasaya, bag of shirasaya, koshirae, bag of koshirae and NBTHK hozon paper(attributed to Yamashiro-no-kami Kunikane "山城守国包", issued on 20th August Heisei 30(2018)), NBTHK Tokubetsu kichô papter (attributed to Kunikane "国包", issued on 23rd March Shôwa 48(1973))

[ Item number ] A030220 [ Price ] JPY 470,000 (shipping and insurance fee are not included)