{"product_id":"katana106","title":"Antique Japanese Muromachi Katana Sword attributed to Kaifu with Inlaid Iron Sukashi Tsuba and Shakudō Figure Fuchi-Kashira - NBTHK Hozon","description":"\u003c!-- KATANA106 — Tokyo Nihonto --\u003e\n\u003csection class=\"product\"\u003e\u003cheader\u003e\u003c\/header\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"specs\"\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignature (Mei):\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eMumei\u003c\/em\u003e (unsigned), attributed by the NBTHK to the Kaifu school \u003cspan lang=\"ja\"\u003e無銘（海部）\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSwordsmith:\u003c\/strong\u003e Kaifu school \u003cspan lang=\"ja\"\u003e海部\u003c\/span\u003e (NBTHK attribution; no individual smith named)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSchool \/ Tradition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Kaifu \u003cspan lang=\"ja\"\u003e海部\u003c\/span\u003e, Awa Province provincial tradition\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePeriod \/ Province:\u003c\/strong\u003e Muromachi period, \u003cem\u003ekoto\u003c\/em\u003e, Awa Province (modern Tokushima, Shikoku). The NBTHK paper attributes the school; the period is the assessment of the previous Japanese dealer\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCertificate:\u003c\/strong\u003e NBTHK \u003cem\u003eHozon Token\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cspan lang=\"ja\"\u003e保存刀剣\u003c\/span\u003e no. 3039165, issued 3 June 2026\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eJapanese Registration (Tōroku-shō):\u003c\/strong\u003e Gunma no. 43028, issued 15 December 1987\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMounting:\u003c\/strong\u003e Complete \u003cem\u003ekatana koshirae\u003c\/em\u003e: black lacquer \u003cem\u003esaya\u003c\/em\u003e with fine gold flecks, iron \u003cem\u003esukashi\u003c\/em\u003e tsuba with small inlays, \u003cem\u003eshakudō nanako\u003c\/em\u003e figure \u003cem\u003efuchi-kashira\u003c\/em\u003e with gold highlights, black silk \u003cem\u003etsuka-ito\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBlade Length (Nagasa):\u003c\/strong\u003e 65.4 cm (2 \u003cem\u003eshaku\u003c\/em\u003e 1 \u003cem\u003esun\u003c\/em\u003e 6 \u003cem\u003ebu\u003c\/em\u003e, just under, as recorded on the NBTHK certificate; 65.5 cm on the tōroku-shō)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurvature (Sori):\u003c\/strong\u003e 2.2 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMekugi-ana:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1\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, a well-marked curvature for the length\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eJihada:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eItame\u003c\/em\u003e mixed with \u003cem\u003emokume\u003c\/em\u003e, with flowing grain towards the \u003cem\u003eshinogi\u003c\/em\u003e; the grain stands out clearly\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHamon:\u003c\/strong\u003e Narrow \u003cem\u003esuguha\u003c\/em\u003e base with gentle \u003cem\u003enotare\u003c\/em\u003e undulations, \u003cem\u003enioi-deki\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHabaki:\u003c\/strong\u003e Single-piece, silver-toned, with diagonal \u003cem\u003eneko-gaki\u003c\/em\u003e file marks\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn unsigned katana of \u003cstrong\u003e65.4 cm\u003c\/strong\u003e, attributed by the NBTHK to the \u003cstrong\u003eKaifu school\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cspan lang=\"ja\"\u003e海部\u003c\/span\u003e of Awa Province on Shikoku. The \u003cem\u003eHozon Token\u003c\/em\u003e certificate was issued on \u003cstrong\u003e3 June 2026\u003c\/strong\u003e, so the attribution reflects the society's current judgement. The blade is registered in Japan and comes complete in a black lacquer koshirae.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe shape is a \u003cem\u003eshinogi-zukuri\u003c\/em\u003e katana with an \u003cem\u003eiori-mune\u003c\/em\u003e and a \u003cem\u003echū-kissaki\u003c\/em\u003e. A curvature of \u003cstrong\u003e2.2 cm\u003c\/strong\u003e over 65.4 cm gives it a lively, well-marked bend. A blade of this length with this much curvature is typical of the \u003cem\u003euchigatana\u003c\/em\u003e of the late Muromachi period, a sword worn edge-up through the belt and made to be drawn and used quickly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe hamon is narrow and restrained: a \u003cem\u003esuguha\u003c\/em\u003e base that moves in gentle \u003cem\u003enotare\u003c\/em\u003e undulations, formed in \u003cem\u003enioi\u003c\/em\u003e. This is not a showy temper line. Kaifu smiths were known above all for working blades, and the sober hamon matches that reputation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe steel is the most interesting part to study. The \u003cem\u003ejihada\u003c\/em\u003e is an \u003cem\u003eitame\u003c\/em\u003e mixed with \u003cem\u003emokume\u003c\/em\u003e, with grain that flows towards the \u003cem\u003eshinogi\u003c\/em\u003e, and it stands out clearly across the surface, a forging texture typical of provincial work. The polish is an older one, with light marks and visible grain in places. The tang keeps a tapered profile ending in a rounded \u003cem\u003ekuri-jiri\u003c\/em\u003e, with a single \u003cem\u003emekugi-ana\u003c\/em\u003e, and it shows no sign of heavy shortening. Its dark, even patina has never been cleaned.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"koshirae\"\u003e\u003ch3\u003eKoshirae Details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003etsuba\u003c\/em\u003e is a round iron plate cut in openwork (\u003cem\u003esukashi\u003c\/em\u003e) with spokes radiating out from the centre like a wheel. On the rim, a stream winds in low relief, and on one face a small chrysanthemum flower and a fan-shaped motif are inlaid in yellow metal. The reverse carries a second flower and a few tiny inlaid dots. The contrast between the austere iron openwork and these small bright accents is the charm of the piece.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003efuchi\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003ekashira\u003c\/em\u003e are a matching pair in \u003cem\u003eshakudō\u003c\/em\u003e on a fine \u003cem\u003enanako\u003c\/em\u003e (fish-roe) ground, carved in relief with figures picked out in gold. On the kashira, two figures sit facing each other beneath a bamboo fence and leaves; on the fuchi, figures in gold and silver carry a long object across the band, with bamboo leaves and a fence behind them. Figure scenes on \u003cem\u003enanako\u003c\/em\u003e ground were a classic subject of Edo-period metalworkers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003etsuka\u003c\/em\u003e is wrapped in black silk \u003cem\u003ehineri-maki\u003c\/em\u003e over white \u003cem\u003esame\u003c\/em\u003e, and the wrap is clean and tight. The \u003cem\u003emenuki\u003c\/em\u003e, in dark patinated metal with small gold accents, are figural pieces largely covered by the wrap. The \u003cem\u003esaya\u003c\/em\u003e is glossy black lacquer scattered with fine gold flecks, with black horn fittings and a dark grey \u003cem\u003esageo\u003c\/em\u003e. The \u003cem\u003ehabaki\u003c\/em\u003e is single-piece, silver-toned, filed with diagonal \u003cem\u003eneko-gaki\u003c\/em\u003e marks, and the two \u003cem\u003eseppa\u003c\/em\u003e are copper.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"smith-background\"\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe Attribution: Kaifu \u003cspan lang=\"ja\"\u003e海部\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe blade is unsigned, and the NBTHK attributes it to the \u003cstrong\u003eKaifu school\u003c\/strong\u003e as a whole, without naming an individual smith. That is the usual form for mumei Kaifu work: the school's style is recognisable, but its many smiths shared names and methods over several centuries, so a school attribution is the honest level of precision.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe best-known name in the school is \u003cstrong\u003eUjiyoshi\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cspan lang=\"ja\"\u003e氏吉\u003c\/span\u003e. Tradition places the first Ujiyoshi in the Ōei era (1394–1428), but Japanese dealers point out that signed work only appears from around the Meiō era (1492–1501), in the middle of the Muromachi period. The most famous Kaifu sword, the \u003cem\u003emeibutsu\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eIwagiri Kaifu\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cspan lang=\"ja\"\u003e岩切海部\u003c\/span\u003e (\"the rock-cutting Kaifu\"), is a katana signed by Ujiyoshi and is said to date from around the Eishō era (1504–1521). Other names recorded for the school include Yasuyoshi \u003cspan lang=\"ja\"\u003e泰吉\u003c\/span\u003e, Yasumitsu and Yasunaga.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKaifu blades are best known for the \u003cem\u003ekataki-ri-ha\u003c\/em\u003e form, a blade with a flat face on one side and a bevel on the other, often found on wakizashi. This katana, by contrast, is a conventional \u003cem\u003eshinogi-zukuri\u003c\/em\u003e fighting blade, and its attribution rests on the steel and the temper rather than on any unusual shape.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"school-history\"\u003e\u003ch3\u003eKaifu: Swords of the Awa Coast\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKaifu is a coastal district in the south of \u003cstrong\u003eAwa Province\u003c\/strong\u003e, modern Tokushima Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. Encouraged by the local Kaifu clan, smiths there produced swords from the medieval period until the end of the Edo period, and their work earned a reputation for robustness and cutting ability. Kaifu castle guarded Awa's border with Tosa, and when \u003cstrong\u003eChōsokabe Motochika\u003c\/strong\u003e of Tosa took it in the 1570s, the school declined.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt survived thanks to the \u003cstrong\u003eHachisuka\u003c\/strong\u003e family, who became lords of Awa (Tokushima domain) after 1585. Under their protection the Ujiyoshi family moved to the castle town of Tokushima and went on forging until the end of the Edo period, which makes Kaifu one of the longest-lived provincial traditions in Japan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat is offered here is an unsigned Muromachi-period katana of 65.4 cm, attributed to the Kaifu school by an NBTHK Hozon certificate issued in June 2026, registered in Japan, and complete in a black lacquer koshirae with an inlaid iron sukashi tsuba and \u003cem\u003eshakudō\u003c\/em\u003e figure fuchi-kashira.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e","brand":"Tokyo Nihonto","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57489590092100,"sku":"KATANA106","price":4800.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0753\/4080\/8516\/files\/Katana106_280K_0037_GenerativeFill4.jpg?v=1792221765","url":"https:\/\/tokyo-nihonto.com\/products\/katana106","provider":"Tokyo Nihonto","version":"1.0","type":"link"}