Sue-Naminohira Katana

Signed: Sashū ju Munetoshi saku

薩州住宗俊作

Dated: A day of the eighth month of Tenbun 10 (1541)-

Nagasa [length]: 70 cm

Sori [curvature]: 2.5 cm

Motohaba [bottom width]: 3.4 cm

Sakihaba [top width]: 2 cm

Motokasane [bottom thickness]: 6.5 mm

-

Sugata [configuration]: Shinogi-zukuri, iori-mune,  deep sori, elongated chu-kissaki (4.2 cm)

Kitae [forging pattern]: ko-mokume hada which tends to masame.

Hamon [tempering pattern]: Suguha which tends to ko-midare with a wide habuchi. Ashi, yo, sunagashi.

Boshi [point tempering pattern]: Kaen.

Nakago [tang]: Kurijiri, three mekugi-ana

Horimono [carving]: bo-hi with tsure-hi on both sides

-

Koshirae [montatura]: The sword is accompanied by a good antique koshirae with high level fittings.

Munetoshi is an exponent of the Sue-Naminohira school, a group of sword-makers of the Yamato tradition from Satsuma province. The Naminohira school was founded by Masakuni, a Yamato native, in the Nanbokucho period. During the Muromachi period, swordsmiths of this school began to blend with traits from the Yamashiro and Bizen traditions; we normally refer to these swordsmen as Sue-Naminohira.

The blade is massive, rather long and with deep sori. The jigane is clearly visible, with activities that are not frequently found in sworsmiths from this school.