Q518. O-suriage mumei katana papered to Nanki Shigekuni.

Nagasa: 26 9/16″ 67.3 cm.

Sori: .7 cm.

Moto haba: 3 cm.

Moto kasane: .8 cm.

Saki haba: 1.9 cm.

Saki kasane: .5 cm.

Nakago nagasa: 9 1/2″ 24 cm.

Overall in koshirae: 37 1/2″ 95 cm.

There are 4 holes in the nakago: 1 is plugged and 2 are in use with the current koshirae. Koshi zori, iore mune, chu kissaki. The hada is ko itame with masame near the hamon. The hamon is suguba worked in tiny ko-gunome with numerous short ashi and other subtle hataraki, in a bright and consistent nioi guchi covered in ko-nie. The boshi is a continuation of the hamon ending in chu maru and a short kaeri. The blade is flawless and in polish with a few very minor scuffs. It comes with a shakudo habaki that is dinged & dented (no idea how that would have happened) and a paper from the NTHK-NPO dated 2006 and giving the blade to “Shodai Nanki Shigekuni”.

The koshirae also has a paper, of the same date from the NTHK-NPO (I have a translation of the papers). The saya is black lacquer and flawless. The tsuba is iron, signed Shoami. The fuchi kashira are shakudo nanako with gold, shakudo, & copper leaves (quite nice) and the menuki are gold & shakudo. All the koshirae are in excellent condition. The sword will come in a silk brocade bag in excellent condition. I have pictures of the papers, which are supposed to show on this listing, but for some unknown reason they won’t appear. Send me an email if you’d like to see them.

Few Shinto swordsmiths were more important than shodai (1st generation) Nanki Shigekuni. He was active in the early 17th century, producing swords in both Soshu and Yamato style. This one is his Yamato work, with masame hada, suguba hamon, and a high shinogi. he is rated Sai Jo Saku (the best) in Fujishiro’s Nihon Toko Jiten.

This is a most impressive package; it shouldn’t sit too long without a new owner. 3 pounds, 9 ounces. $5,500.