AS20455 Wakizashi:Mumei (Sue Seki)(bungo Kami Kanetaka)

Ordering number:AS20455
Wakizashi in Shirasaya with Koshirae.(NBTHK Hozon Token)(Hojin Kantei club estimation paper)

Signature : Mumei (Sue Seki)(bungo Kami Kanetaka)
無銘 (末関) (豊後守金高)

AOI Bijyutasu Syosin Kanteisyo NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Token
(We divide 4 sections for each sword as Saijyo saku, Jyo-jyo saku Jyo saku and regular saku)
This sword belongs to Jyo saku ranking.
The blade was polished. Jyo Jyo polished was done.
Habaki : copper single habaki.
Blade length : 45.2cm or 17.79 inches.
Sori : 0.9 cm or 0.35 inches.
Mekugi : 2
Width at the hamachi : 2.95 cm or 1.16 inches.
Width at the Kissaki : 2.31 cm or 0.90 inches.
Kasane : 0.67 cm or 0.26 inches.
The weight of the sword 495 grams.
Era : Late Muromachi period Eiroku era.1558.
Shape : The blade is oosuriage mumei and rather wide and thick with deep sori and longer kissaki. Bo-hi are engraved on both sides of the blade.
Jigane : Itame hada well grained with jinie attach and chikei work and visible to see the nice texture and shirake utsuri appear.
Hamon :Konie deki kogunome midare and togati gnome mixed lower position in row bright and clear.
Bo-shi: Kogunome midare round shape and togari yakizume style turns back small.

Special feature: NBTHK judged this blade as Sue-seki school.
Sue-seki means the sword forged at Seki in Noshu province on and after O-nin era (1467~) to the last Muromachi period except for by two great swordsmiths Izumi (No) Kami Kanesada and Magoroku-Kanemoto. On and after the War of Onin, Japan plunged into the Age of Civil Provincial Wars that caused a big demand for sword of actual fighting. Japanese sword was also one of an important exports to Ming dynasty of China.
Hojin Kantei club judged this blade as Bungo kami Kanetaka.
Bungo kami Kanetaka was working at Muromachi period Eiroku era.

Koshirae :
Saya :black roiro saya.
Tsuba :on the Moko style iron tsuba like Tenpo style.
Menuki : On the brass plate, family crests are engraved.
Fuchi: On the syakudo plate, waves are engraved with gold color.
Kozuka: On the iron plate, Ume tree and flowers are engraved with silver color.
Kogatana: signature is unknown.

From Aoi Art : Bungo Kami kanetaka was an a sword smith of Eiroku
era in the Muromachi period, and at that time he was still using
good quality Tamahagane.
Hamon was creating bright, clear, beautiful and sharp works.
It is judged that the blade pattern was low and the sharp edges
were aligned to improve the sharpness.
It is regrettable that there is a small kizu in In hamon in the middle
of On the back side, but about 460 years have passed.
Koshirae is believed to have been owned by an ordinary samurai.
This is a work I would like to recommend. Especially the polishing is good and Jigane is pulled out well and the good part of Kanetaka is pulled out.
If you want to ask us re-wrap the Tsuka Ito, additional cost will be JPY15,000.

Back ground of age:May 19, 1560 (June 12, 1560 Battle of Okehazama:
Imagawa Yoshimoto, who invaded Owari no Kuni, was defeated
Eiroku 4th August-September (1561) Battle of Kawanakajima.
At that time, Japan was said to be in the Warring States period, and many daimyo were fighting to protect their own country in order to attack other countries.
Quoted from Wikipedia

NBTHK Hozon Token
Hojin Kantei club estimation paper
Aoi Art estimation paper: whole Oshigata.