AS26496 Katana:Mumei (Attributed to Sanjō Yoshinori) (NBTHK Hozon Token)

Ordering Number: AS26496

Katana in Shirasaya (NBTHK Hozon Token)

Signature: Mumei (Attributed to Sanjō Yoshinori)
無銘(三条吉則)

Sue-Koto: Ryō Wazamono: Jyo Saku: Yamashiro
(We divide 4 sections for each sword as Saijyo Saku, Jyojyo Saku, Jyo Saku and Regular Saku).
This blade is ranked as Jyojyo Saku among works attributed to Sanjō Yoshinori.
Habaki: Single copper habaki.
Blade Length: 63.6 cm (25.04 in).
Curvature: 1.6 cm (0.63 in).
Mekugi Hole: 3.
Width at Base (Motohaba): 2.86 cm (1.13 in).
Width at Yokote: 2.01 cm (0.79 in).
Thickness of rim (Kasane): 0.66 cm (0.26 in).
Sword Weight: 670 g.
Era: Around the Bunmei era (1469–1487), Muromachi period.
Shape: A sturdy katana with substantial mihaba and kasane. Fine carvings are present on both sides of the blade.
Jigane: Well-forged ko-itame hada with some areas showing larger grain (ō-hada).
Hamon: Nioi-deki gunome-midare.

Features: Sanjō Yoshinori belonged to a lineage of swordsmiths dating back to the late Heian period. This blade was forged around the Bunmei era. It has a pronounced koshi-zori curvature. Although some larger grain is visible in the jigane, the carvings on the tang and the rope-pattern carving on the reverse side are particularly distinctive and add considerable interest to the piece.

Historical Background: The Bunmei era (1469–1487) fell in the midst of the Ōnin War, which began in 1467 and divided the country. The conflict devastated Kyoto, destroying much of the city, including major temples, shrines, and aristocratic residences. The authority of the Muromachi Shogunate declined sharply, marking the beginning of the gekokujō (“the low overthrow the high”) period, in which military power increasingly determined political authority. The war originated from a succession dispute over the 8th Muromachi Shogun, Ashikaga Yoshimasa, combined with rivalries among powerful shugo daimyō, eventually drawing warriors from across Japan into a prolonged civil conflict.

NBTHK Hozon Token.
AoiArt estimation paper: Whole Oshigata.
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Please note: The price does not include the international shipping fees.