E22379(S1288) Katana signed Bishu Mihara-ju MASACHIKA saku An auspicious day in the second month, twelve year of Tenbun with An irregular pattern lacquered sheath Uchigatana Koshirae	NBTHK(HOZON) certificate	JPYen1,280,000.
Koto End of Muromachi period (12th year of Tenbun/A.D.1543) Bingo Length of cutting edge 67.0cm Curvature2.2cm Width of base26.9mm Thickness of base7.3mm Width of Yokote18.4mm
Blade construction (kengyo) : Shinogi-zuruki, Iori-mune. There is a descent and deep curvature which is Tachi style leading to a middle tip. The shinogi ridge is rather high. There is chiselled half way Bo-hi grooves on both sides. (click HERE for high resolution of the blade photograph) Forging pattern (kitae hada) : Kitae hada is a combination of fine Itame-hada and Masame hada mark along the tempering side, in which surface is covered in fine ji-nie speckled glitter. Tempering pattern (hamon) : Hamon is fine and uniform nie base, deep nioi kuchi. Straight (sugu) outline with minute detailed temper outline with Uchinoke, small feet and mixture of brushing/thick nie lines (sunagashi and kinsen) activity in the interior of temper. Upper the blade, stronger the nie covering with Yubashiri, double temper lines which is vividly bright. Temper of tip (boshi) : Boshi is straight double tempered, brushing marks with Hakikae end. Tang (Nakago) : Nakago is unaltered UBU. Two Mekugi-ana. Horizontal (Kiri) file-marks with Ha-agari Iriyama heel shape. The signature in omote starts with place [Bi-shu, Mihara-ju] and then smith name [MASACHIKA-saku] and the ura is chiselled the date of year [An auspicious day in the second month, twelve year of Tenbun] The frontier of MIHARA school dates back to the middle of Nanbokucho (Enbun ERA), in the 14 th century, The smith MASAIE was move to Bingo province from Tagai, Yamato. The Mihara lineage had been prospered till end of Muromachi period. This is a firn and rare work of MASACHIKA dated A.D.1543 (The twelve year of Tenbun), his real name is Kuroda Sukeroku. The entire shape is in a descent tachi style with both lower and upper pointed curve, it's shape has a close resembles to a work of Kyo-Rai-Kunitoshi during Kamakura period. The entire blade is well-built with high shinogi-ridge, in good health and rich in mass for the age of 460 years old. This tachi shows a typical workmanship of Yamato-school. The blade is old but elaborate polish in very fine view with rich activity of forging and temper scene. The is some marks of scratch but no need to take a new polish Comes in with an irregular pattern sheath uchigatana koshirae Copper habaki collar, Shira-Saya plain wood mounting included.