N61601(S8870) Katana signed KIKU crest Takai Echizen-no-kami Minamoto Rai NOBUYOSHI	NBTHK(Tokubetsu Hozon)	JPYen2,300,000
Shinto Middle of Edo period (Genroku era/about 300 years ago) Settsu Length of cutting edge61.6cm Curve2.1cm Thickness of base8.2mm Width of base32.1mm Width of Yokote23.0mm
Sugata(configuration) : Shinogi-zukuri, Iori-mune of which ridge is low and the other side of cutting edge is especially deep. Mihaba on base is wide and there is middle pointed deep curve leading to an extended middle tip. There is plump volume in kasane and rich mass in hiraniku. Heavy on hands. (click HERE for super sized image) Kitae(forging pattern) : Kitae-hada is precisely fine kneaded Ko-itame hada. The surface is thickly covered in with uniform/sparkling Ji-Nie activity that generates boiling thick Nie dots of Chikei scene over the surface.The entire hada splendidly works with Nie activity which is vividly bright. Hamon(tempering pattern) : Hamon is Ko-Nie based, deep Nioi-kuchi Douran temper line of which condensed Nie/Nioi creates like big waves braking on the shore. Deep Nioi mist works in the interior. The entire temper gives off vivid and strong light. Boshi (tip): The temper of the tip waves into KOMARU circle then turns back in good manner. Nakago(tang) : UBU un-altered, slanted left (o-sujikai) filemarks and Iriyama V-shape heel. One mekugi-ana. The signature in hakiomote starts with large KIRI chrysanthemum crest in 16 petals and the signature is located shinogiji side, long character that reads Takai Echizen-no-kami Minamoto Rai NOBUYOSHI. NOBUYOSHI with Echizen-no-kami title was transmitted as the third son of the first smith Shinano-no-kami NOBUYOSHI in Yamashiro province and he named himself TOMOKOTO after he became a monk. he belonged to Yamashiro MISHINA school and moved to Osaka province and flourished while he was at his head. His works are found from Kanbun to Genroku period, while initial works are mostly less in curve and temper shows suguha straight indications usually, while his later period in Genroku, he sometimes created elegant style of katana with attractive temper outline that has a close resembles of Sukehiro's famed Doran midare like this work to meet with market requirement, while peace was restored under high cultural level. The subject katana is surely a superb work of NOBUYOSHI and quite rare to come across and it is understood that one charactar [RAI] is added before NOBUYOSHI that usually is seen from his later works in Genroku period. The entire blade almost remains an original shape in 300 years or even more. Gold foiled habaki collar, set in Shira-saya plain wood mounting.