Koto Katana 室町時代 かたな Mino Kanemoto Shodai Entoku 兼元 初代 延徳 美濃

Shirasaya 白鞘 and old Koshirae 拵え with Kogai 笄 more Kozuka 小柄 / Kogatana 小型な

Katana 室町時代 かたな Muromachi:

Kanemoto 兼元
Shodai (First generation) 初代
Entoku 延徳 era 年号
Mino 美濃

Katana blade:

Katana blade full length (between extremes): 86,3 cm.
Blade cutting line length: 67,1 cm.
Nagasa: 66,3 cm.
Sori: 1,3 cm.
Motohaba: 2,9 cm.
Sakihaba: 1,8 cm.
Motogasane: 0,6 cm.
Sakigasane: 0,4 cm.
Mei: Kanemoto
Estimated age (era): Entoku 延徳
Period: The Muromachi period or Muromachi era (室町時代, Muromachi jidai), also known as the Ashikaga period or Ashikaga era (足利時代, Ashikaga jidai)
Province: 美濃 Mino

Bare blade weight: 624 gr

About this blade.
The blade has recently been subjected to a professional cleaning process in Japan (cleaning only not polishing). The blade not have any areas with active oxidation so it is now in acceptable collectible condition but showing various black dots and exposed fold lines as well as some small shadow areas on the Hamon (see pictures please or ask for details). What I want to point out is that it is an old polish with what shows signs of time and use on its surface, but its condition remains solid and it seems that it has maintained through the centuries the edge that made this famous swordsmith and his school. Almost all defects on the blade surface are due to lack of recent polishing. At a certain distance, they can hardly be seen because the blade maintains its shape. The edge is so extraordinary that despite the old use and polishing, it remains almost perfect and complete, as befits the famous supreme sharpness edged of this smith of Mino school later also continued by the Kanemoto smiths of next generations from Echizen school.
A very antique blade that allows you to see it near of its original form.
It is a very aesthetically beautiful blade with beautiful lines, slender and thin. Its length is among the most common at the time for personal use.
The Hamon have been polished over the centuries but high contrast macro photos seem with difficulty to show the transition to the famous Sanbonsugi that later characterized the school almost until from Kanemoto 2nd gen time (founder of the Mogoroku school) .
This blade can be attributed to the early times of the Kanemoto (first generation) due to blade characteristics and the ancient Kanji style whit was has written the Mei.

Shirasaya 白鞘 :

Wood: Honoki (Hinoki 檜 Japanese Cypress) traditional work

Koshirae 拵え:

Tsuka:
Wood: Honoki (Hinoki 檜 Japanese Cypress)
Fuchi/Kashira and Menuki couple: Shakudo with Gold border
Menuki couple: Shishi mythological beast Shakudo work with Gold inlay
Same: Genuine Ray Skin
Ito: Brown natural Silk
Tsuba:
A great fine forged iron intrincate open work
Habaki 鎺: Copper
Saya:
Wood: Honoki (Hinoki 檜 Japanese Cypress)
Lacquered: Black traditional Urushi
Sageo: Blue Silk
Kojiri: black lacquered

Kogai 笄 (Traditional Hairpin accessory):

Silver horse emerging from the Kogai made with ancient work silver covered

Kozuka 小柄 (Kogatana 小型な handle) signed:

A extremely rare and fine work with Gold and also Silver inlay. Dated from the Edo period as the Kogatana.
Depicted reference to "The cry of the cicada" (蝉の鳴き声) the Matsuo Bashō (松尾芭蕉) Haiku (short poem) Haikai no renga (俳諧の連歌) signed sealed.

Cicada included maked of Gold inlaid high relief.

"The cry of the cicada" 蝉の鳴き声 cicadas sound - 閑さや岩にしみ入る蝉の声 - Quietness and the voice of cicadas seeping into the rocks

is a poem composed by Matsuo Bashō on May 27, 1689 (July 13, 1689) when he visited Risshakuji Temple in Dewa Province (now Yamagata City). Recorded in "Oku no Hosomichi". In the "Tsuiyo Nikki" written by Kawai Sora, who accompanied him, he is described as the voice of cicadas that cling to the temples and rocks of the mountains. Known as Shugin's poem in "Oku no Hosomichi"

は、松尾芭蕉が元禄2年5月27日（1689年7月13日）に出羽国（現在の山形市）の立石寺に参詣した際に詠んだ発句。『奥の細道』に収録されている。

随伴した河合曾良が記した『随行日記』では、山寺や石にしみつく蝉の声とされている。『奥の細道』の中でも秀吟の詩として知られている

Poem begins by saying:

In the cicada's cry
No sign can foretell
How soon it must die...

蝉の鳴き声に
予言できる兆候はない
どれだけ早く死ななければならないか...

and ends with other reference to the Bushidō (武士道 ) spirit :

The summer grasses
All that remains
Of brave warrior dreams...

夏の草
残っているすべて
勇敢な戦士の夢の...

Kogatana 小型な:

Forged and tempered Tamahagane. Signed work (Attributed to Kiyomune but a do not can read it).

Kodogu Koshirae estimated age: Edo period 江戸時代, Edo jidai also called Tokugawa period 徳川時代

Bukuro 袋 (Katana bag also called because the fonetical translation "Fukuro"):

It is a very old craft work quality made of raw natural Silk in fabric woven in the traditional way and themes. It is preserved in quite good condition as can be seen in the pictures. but the outer silk is somewhat unstitched only at part of the end.

Koshirae condition:
The Koshirae of this Katana remains in its original condition without modern restoration
It is a very old Koshirae that, as usual, will have been restored several times the last one probably in the Showa period. It shows signs of use and dirt on the Ito, Same and Kodogu, but its general condition is quite good as can be seen in the pictures with appropiate fit. It is rare to find unrestored ancient Koshirae, surely it has been used until very recent times in typical Japanese traditional meetings and exhibitions of Samurai families descendants

Japanese papers:

Kyoiku-inkai - Japanese official documentation (paper previously called Daimyo) the document card that testifies to the sword ownership :

Sealed of Prefectural (Kyoiku-inkai) Registration Card In order to legally own a original sword in Japan it has to be registered in accordance with the Ju-to-ho 銃刀法 it is the original card including inscription in equivalent characters of the Katana Nakago Mei (Kanemoto 兼元) in order at inequivocal blade identification.

The Board of Education prefecture issued a registration paper for this sword. In order to obtain this paper, the sword needs to be traditionally hand forged and signature verification. With this paper, its owner can legally own an authentic Japanese sword in Japan.

Daimyo Registered: This sword was registered in current sword registration system started in Japan in modern era. Such swords, which were registered in a few years after the system started, are known among collectors as "Daimyo" (feudal lord) registration swords as it was Daimyo or other Daimyo-like wealthy families who owned many precious swords and were asked by the Japanese government to register their swords in the early stage of the newly introduced registration system to familiarize it to the society but it is not the official name of course what is Kyoiku-inkai (Prefectural Registration Card)

Only Katana blade with Koshirae and Shirasaya (with original Japanese card of course) and the Bukuro couple (Katana bags) for sale, Katanakake (Katana stand) is not included.

Ref.: Katana 124

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