Important Japanese Swords and Armour from the Paul L. Davidson Collection
Important Japanese Swords and Armour from the Paul L. Davidson Collection
A Soden Bizen school katana | Attributed to Kanenaga (Kencho) | Nambokucho period, 14th century
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March 25, 03:08 PM GMT
Estimate
40,000 - 60,000 USD
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Description
A Soden Bizen school katana
Attributed to Kanenaga (Kencho)
Nambokucho period, 14th century
Sugata [configuration]: shinogi-zukuri, iori mune, rather wide mihaba, high sori, greatly elongated o-kissaki
Kitae [forging pattern]: tight itame hada with nagare masame mixed in towards the ha, with ji-nie, and chikei is applied
Hamon [tempering pattern]: gunome and togariba are mixed in a main tone comprising a large pattern notare, ashi and yo are inserted, with abundant nie, the upper half is tight, and there is chikei
Boshi [tip]: midare-komi, the omote is ko-maru, the ura has a hint of togari, and both are hakikake
Horimono [carvings]: bohi and renbi are kakinagasu on the omote and ura
Habaki [collar]: double clad, gold on copper
Nakago [tang]: o-suriage, saki is kiri, yasurime is katte-sagari, very slight curvature (0.1 cm.). four mekugi-ana (one of which is plugged), unsigned
Habaki [collar]: double clad, gold on copper, chased and engraved
In shirasaya [plain wood scabbard] with sayagaki by Tanobe Michihiro
Koshirae [mount]: the uchi-gatana style koshirae with brown ishime ground lacquer saya decorated with karakusa, shakudo-nanako fittings
Nagasa [length from kissaki to machi]: 68.6 cm., 27 in.
Sori [curvature]: 1.8 cm., ¾ in.
Saki-haba [width at the yokote]: 2.3 cm., ⅞ in.
Moto-haba [width at the machi]: 3.1 cm., 1¼ in.
Kissaki length: 5.7 cm., 2¼ in.
Nakago length: 12.1 cm., 4¾ in.
Accompanied by a certificate of registration as Juyo Token [Important Sword], no. 9012, issued by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai [Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Art Sword], dated Heisei 3 (1991).
Art of the Samurai: The Paul L. Davidson Collection (New York, 2023), p. 27 and 82.
Kanenaga is thought to have been a member of the Osafune Nagayoshi school. Among extant swords attributed to Kanenaga, there is a Juyo Bijutsuhin [Important Art Object] wakizashi dated 1366, as well as a Juyo Token [Important Sword] tanto dated 1387.
This katana is forged with a wide blade width (mihaba) and elongated point (kissaki) characteristic of the Nanbokucho period (1336-1392). The steelwork (jigane) is clear: the cutting edge displays a flowing straight woodgrain (nagare masame) that blends with a more standard woodgrain (itame) surface. A boldly undulating tempering pattern (notare hamon), typically associated with Kanenaga's vernacular, support the attribution to this smith.