Q882. Ko-wakizashi signed Kishu ni Oite Monju Shigekuni Kore o Tsukuru.

Nagasa: 14 1/4″  36.3 cm.

Sori: .8 cm.

Moto haba: 3.1 cm.

Moto kasane: .6 cm.

Nakago nagasa: 4 3/4″  12 cm.

Overall in koshirae: 23 3/4″  60.5 cm.

Shobu zukuri, koshi sori, iore mune. The hada is finest ko itame hinting at a flowing masame (this is a quite beautiful hada). The hamon is suguba in a bright nioi guchi covered in ko-nie. There are sunagashi, hotsure, and other subtle hataraki. A perfectly lovely suguba. The boshi is a continuation of the hamon ending in a slightly swept ko-maru with a medium length kaeri. The blade is flawless. This is in a first class polish with just one very tiny spot of corrosion. You will find it just inside the edge next to the white asterisk in my 4th picture; it looks like a tiny vertical line. The habaki is a two piece of silver and shakudo foil.

The koshirae is en suite, with iron fuchi, kabuto gane, kurikata, and kojiri. The menuki are gilt shishi lion dogs. The tsuba is iron with dibs and dabs of silver and shakudo inlay. The saya lacquer is in great condition; I can find only one small spot of chipping at the side of the kotsuka sleeve. There are sleeves for kotsuka and kogai but these are missing.

This sword comes with a Tokubetsu Hozon paper from the NBTHK in Tokyo, dated 2014 and attesting to the signature and the work. There were a number of generations of Nanki Shigekuni working early in Shinto; the paper doesn’t specify which generation this is. I know it isn’t the 1st generation because I can’t afford that – he was an exceptionally important smith. I do think this is by the 2nd generation. The mei is a close match for examples in the books and, according to the NBTHK’s Token Bijutsu, English edition #18, page 31, “the use of the ending KORE-o TSUKURU seems almost to be limited only to the first two generations.”

Great blade here; it would fit nicely in your collection. 2 pounds. $3,495.