A Katana | Signed Chikuzen kuni Minamoto Nobukini Heijiro Yoshinao saku | Edo period, 19th century

Property from a Private Collector

A Katana

Signed Chikuzen kuni Minamoto Nobukini Heijiro Yoshinao saku

Edo period, 19^th century 

Sugata [configuration]: Shinogi-zukuri, shallow tori-zori, chu-kissaki

Kitae [forging pattern]: The jigane in ko-mokume hada with ji-nie

Hamon [tempering pattern]: Niedeki gunome midare extending from the hamachi to kissaki with profuse ashi, sunagashi, kinsuji

Boshi [tip]: The boshi in Ichimai style with deep nioikuchi

Horimono [carvings]: Finely engraved on the omote with a large dragon and vajra (kenmaki-ryu), the ura with sanskrit character (bonji)

Nakago [tang]: Ubu, ha-agiri, kuri-jiri, with two mekugi-ana, yoko yasurime file marks, signed Chikuzen kuni Minamoto Nobukuni Heijiro Yoshinao saku (made by Minamoto Nobukuni Heijiro Noshinao from Chikuzen Province) 

Habaki [collar]: Copper 

Koshirae [mount]: The very fine tachi koshirae decorated in red and black lacquer and inlaid in silver to imitate cherry bark, the elaborate details highlighted in pale red on a darker red ground, copper-gilt fittings with a hammered design, the silver menuki in the form of swords, the mokko-gata tsuba is mumei

Nagasa [length from kissaki to machi]: 74 cm., 29⅛ in. 

Sori [curvature]: 1.4 cm., ½ in. 

Saki-haba [width at the yokote]: 2 cm., ¾ in. 

Moto-haba [width at the machi]: 2.9 cm., 1 ⅛ in. 

Accompanied by a certificate of registration as Hozon Token [Sword Worthy of Preservation], no. 3024202 issued by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai [Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Art Sword], dated Reiwa 2 (2020).