{"product_id":"katana104","title":"Antique Japanese Katana Sword with Hoso-Suguha Hamon, Phoenix Fuchi and Coin Menuki — Muromachi Period","description":"\u003c!-- KATANA104 — Tokyo Nihonto --\u003e\n\u003csection class=\"product\"\u003e\u003cheader\u003e\u003c\/header\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"specs\"\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignature (Mei):\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eMumei\u003c\/em\u003e (unsigned)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePeriod:\u003c\/strong\u003e Muromachi, \u003cem\u003ekoto\u003c\/em\u003e. Shortened blade with two \u003cem\u003emekugi-ana\u003c\/em\u003e and a \u003cem\u003ekoto\u003c\/em\u003e sugata. No certificate confirms this\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCertificate:\u003c\/strong\u003e None.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eJapanese Registration (Tōroku-shō):\u003c\/strong\u003e Kanagawa no. 1375, issued 14 September 1952\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMounting:\u003c\/strong\u003e Complete \u003cem\u003ekatana koshirae\u003c\/em\u003e, black \u003cem\u003eroiro\u003c\/em\u003e lacquer saya, iron tsuba, phoenix \u003cem\u003efuchi\u003c\/em\u003e, cash-coin \u003cem\u003emenuki\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBlade Length (Nagasa):\u003c\/strong\u003e 60.0 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurvature (Sori):\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.6 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMekugi-ana:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShape (Sugata):\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eShinogi-zukuri\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eiori-mune\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003echū-kissaki\u003c\/em\u003e, shortened (\u003cem\u003esuriage\u003c\/em\u003e)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eJihada:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eItame\u003c\/em\u003e mixed with \u003cem\u003emokume\u003c\/em\u003e, partly obscured by an old polish\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHamon:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eHoso-suguha\u003c\/em\u003e with slight \u003cem\u003enotare\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003enioi-deki\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBōshi:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eSugu\u003c\/em\u003e with a \u003cem\u003eko-maru\u003c\/em\u003e turn-back\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHabaki:\u003c\/strong\u003e Single-piece copper\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn unsigned Muromachi katana of \u003cstrong\u003e60.0 cm\u003c\/strong\u003e with \u003cstrong\u003e1.6 cm\u003c\/strong\u003e of curvature, registered in Japan since \u003cstrong\u003e1952\u003c\/strong\u003e, sold complete in an Edo-period koshirae. It carries no shinsa paper and we make no attribution: this is an honest entry into the world of \u003cem\u003ekoto\u003c\/em\u003e blades, priced accordingly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe shape is \u003cem\u003eshinogi-zukuri\u003c\/em\u003e with an \u003cem\u003eiori-mune\u003c\/em\u003e and a \u003cem\u003echū-kissaki\u003c\/em\u003e. The blade has been shortened, and the tang carries two \u003cem\u003emekugi-ana\u003c\/em\u003e and a deep, dark patina with patches of old rust. At 60 cm it sits at the compact end of the katana range, the length favoured in the late Muromachi period.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe hamon is a narrow straight temper, \u003cem\u003ehoso-suguha\u003c\/em\u003e, with a slight undulation in places, continuing into the point and turning back in a \u003cem\u003eko-maru\u003c\/em\u003e. The steel is an \u003cem\u003eitame\u003c\/em\u003e mixed with \u003cem\u003emokume\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe want to be plain about condition. The blade is in an old, cloudy polish with surface scratches, which hides much of the activity in the steel and hamon. No fatal flaws are visible in our photographs, but a fresh polish would be needed to read the blade properly. It is offered as it is, for the collector who wants a genuine Muromachi sword in hand, or who is prepared to invest in a polish and a shinsa.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"koshirae\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eKoshirae Details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe koshirae was assembled over time from unrelated Edo-period parts, as working mounts often were.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003etsuba\u003c\/em\u003e is a round iron plate with a single \u003cem\u003ehitsu-ana\u003c\/em\u003e, copper \u003cem\u003esekigane\u003c\/em\u003e, and small traces of gold inlay that survive from a decoration now mostly worn away.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003efuchi\u003c\/em\u003e is the finest piece of the mount: \u003cem\u003eshakudō\u003c\/em\u003e on a \u003cem\u003enanako\u003c\/em\u003e ground, carved in relief with a \u003cem\u003ehō-ō\u003c\/em\u003e phoenix highlighted in gold. The \u003cem\u003ekashira\u003c\/em\u003e is a plain dark cap. The \u003cem\u003emenuki\u003c\/em\u003e take the form of old cash coins, a popular good-luck motif, under a dark blue wrap in \u003cem\u003ehineri-maki\u003c\/em\u003e over white \u003cem\u003esame\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003esaya\u003c\/em\u003e is black \u003cem\u003eroiro\u003c\/em\u003e lacquer with an iron \u003cem\u003ekojiri\u003c\/em\u003e. It shows wear, chips and a split along the back seam, and would benefit from restoration. The \u003cem\u003ehabaki\u003c\/em\u003e is single-piece copper.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"smith-background\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eReading an Unsigned Muromachi Blade\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis katana has no signature and no NBTHK paper, so no smith or school can honestly be named. What the blade itself shows is a shortened \u003cem\u003ekoto\u003c\/em\u003e katana with two \u003cem\u003emekugi-ana\u003c\/em\u003e, a compact 60 cm length and a restrained straight temper. The Japanese dealer who handled it catalogued it as Muromachi, and the physical evidence is consistent with that.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStraight tempers in \u003cem\u003enioi\u003c\/em\u003e were made across many provinces in the 15th and 16th centuries, which is precisely why an unsigned \u003cem\u003esuguha\u003c\/em\u003e blade is hard to place without examining it in fresh polish. A new polish followed by NBTHK shinsa is the only route to an attribution, and we make no promise about its outcome.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"school-history\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSwords of the Muromachi Period\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Muromachi period (1336–1573) covers the rise and collapse of the Ashikaga shogunate and the long Sengoku civil war. Demand for swords was enormous, and fighting on foot changed the weapon itself: the long \u003cem\u003etachi\u003c\/em\u003e worn edge-down gave way to the shorter \u003cem\u003euchigatana\u003c\/em\u003e, worn edge-up through the sash and drawn in a single motion. Blades around 60 cm, like this one, are typical of that change.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat is offered here is an unsigned Muromachi katana of 60.0 cm, registered in Japan since 1952, in an old polish, complete in an assembled Edo-period koshirae with a gold-highlighted phoenix fuchi and cash-coin menuki.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e","brand":"Tokyo Nihonto","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57332470317380,"sku":"KATANA104","price":2400.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0753\/4080\/8516\/files\/Katana104_160K_0041_GenerativeFill3.jpg?v=1790415300","url":"https:\/\/tokyo-nihonto.com\/es\/products\/katana104","provider":"Tokyo Nihonto","version":"1.0","type":"link"}