Katana, Shirasaya

[ Signature ] omote : "以南蛮鉄筑後守藤原包則"　ura : -

[ Size ]Blade length: 73.1cm (2 shaku 3 sun 1 bu 2 rin), Curvature: 1.0cm (3 bu 3 rin), Base width: 3.13cm, Base thickness: 0.73cm, Tip width: 2.28cm, Tip thickness: 0.51cm, Tsuba holes: 2, Blade weight: 845g, Total length of shirasaya scabbard: 100cm

[ Province ] Echizen

[ Feature ]
Form : Shinogi-zukuri construction, iori-mune ridge, broad blade width, slight difference in width between base and tip, shallow curvature, extended medium cutting edge.
Engravings: Sanskrit characters and Jizō Bosatsu on the front; Sanskrit characters and a three-pronged sword on the back.
Nakago : The tang is raw, with file marks cut crosswise and staggered; the tip is shaped like a mountain peak; two mekugi holes are present, extending about one sun.
Jigane : The jigane (base metal) has a well-grained itame-hada, with ji-nie (fine surface grain) and ji-hada (base pattern) present.
Hamon : The hamon on the surface is a shallow, wavy straight-haired pattern interspersed with small ko-gunome. The reverse shows a disordered mixture of gunome-choji, ashi, and ha patterns, with both sides exhibiting good nie.
Boushi : The boshi is a straight, small maru with a slight tip sweep.

[ Highlight ] Chikugo-no-kami Kanenori was a swordsmith of the Echizen Shimosaka school during the early Edo period. This piece exhibits the curved form of a Kanbun shinto with a shallow curvature. Its jigane features a well-grained itame-hada with ji-nie. The hamon on the obverse is predominantly ko-gunome, forming a gentle, straight-edged pattern. The reverse displays a turbulent blade pattern with a sharp nioiguchi and deep, vivid midare-bas. The contrasting hamon patterns on the two sides evoke the famed “Konotegashiwa Kanenori”, said to have been owned by Hosokawa Fujitaka before being presented to Tokugawa Ieyasu, who reportedly wielded it at the Battle of Sekigahara. The blade bears exquisite engravings of Sanskrit characters, Jizo Bosatsu, and a sankosho bajra sword, indicating the work of a specialist engraver from the Kidai school, distinct from the swordsmith. This piece is recorded in “Shintō Taikan, Volume One” (p. 73).

[ Conditions ] Excellent.

[ Attachments ] Habaki(silver, double), shirasaya (hatome, back side, lacked), bag of shisaya and NBTHK tokubetsu hozon paper 特別保存刀剣鑑定書(issued on 28th May Reiwa 7(2025))

[ Item number ] A031025 [ Price ] JPY 1,250,000- (shipping and insurance fee are not included in the price)

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