Object Title

Sword (katana)

Sword (katana)

Date

1500-1599

Object Number

XXVIS.366

Provenance

Presented by a private donor, 10 July 2002. Formerly part of the collection of her husband.

Physical Description

The blade is ubu. The sori is torii and quite pronounced and there is slight fumbari. The shinogi is not high. The hada is itame with areas of o-mokume. The hamon is a rounded san bon sugi with some sunagashi towards the ha machi. The boshi is jizu with only a very short kaeri. The tang is long and tapering with kuri jiri and kiri yasurimei.

Dimensions

Dimensions: The nagasa is 702 mm, the sori being 22 mm, the length of tang being 189 mm, the width at the machi being 29 mm, the width at the yokote being 16 mm, the length of the kissaki being 25 mm. The length of the hilt is 239 mm, the length of the saya being 754 mm and the overall length of the shirasaya being 993 mm. Weight: blade 0.615 kg, shirasaya 0.358 kg.

Component parts

Shirasaya
Habaki (blade collar)
Sword blade

Inscriptions and Marks

It is signed Kanamoto.

Associations

Places Japan

Bibliographic References

I Bottomley, An introduction to Japanese swords, Leeds, 2008: 10

Notes

The condition of the tang and signature suggests that this is a later Kanemoto. In 'Nihon To Koza' Vol III Koto Kantei part 2, translated by Afu Watson, Kanemoto is given as living in Akasaka, Mino province and that the name Kanemoto was 'thought to be a common name for generation after generation'. The file marks are not consistant with the earlier smiths using this name, who are said to have used taka no ha, since this is kiri. Judging by the condition of the signature and yasuri, it seems probable that this blade is at the oldest 16th century. The two character signature suggests KA791 in Hawley, Japanese Swordsmiths, who is recorded as working around 1573.